The gift of a smile

While Paul was out today taking care of repair work for the scooter, Elijah and I went to go visit some friends riding around on the bicycle rickshaws. The mornings are generally cool during the monsoon (especially if it just rained) so we decided to take advantage of it and get out of the house. It was our first time out together without daddy. It was quite an interesting experience.

I got lots of stares from people as I carried Elijah. I think people were wondering, "What is this dark skinned Nepali woman doing with such a fair skinned baby?" They were also probably trying to figure out if I was his mom. I also passed a couple of albinos. The funniest thing was that each of them would look at Elijah and then me, and give me a smile as if we shared something in common. How interesting, I thought....

But, what brought me almost to tears was when Elijah flashed a big smile at a bicycle rickshaw-waalah and he in return looked at me and unashamedly flashed a big smile back with his rotting teeth completely exposed. Each bicycle rickshaw-waalahs thereafter would smile at Elijah and then at me because Elijah would give each one of them a smile that said, "Thank you, and I think you are great!" I don't think I have ever seen a bicycle rickshaw-waalah flash a smile before.... When I was preparing for Elijah's baby dedication and praying about what to pray for for him, I got the sense that he would bring "the joy of the Lord" to people. I saw that in him today. What a gift and a blessing it is that we could bring joy of God to one another....we are meant to do that.

Companions for Life...Maybe?

Elijah received a few stuffed animals as welcome gifts. Out of the teddy bear, the dog, Babar, and the penguin, he chose the penguin as his preferred "buddy." So, Patrush (means Peter in Nepali) the Penguin has been his bedtime companion. This morning, I found them lying in bed together with both of their behinds sticking up in the air. Too cute!

First Sunday Service in India

We ended up going to church almost an hour late because there was a slight memory lapse on Paul's part and we had to return to our place to let the landlord in. But, we weren't too worried because we knew that there was still probably another hour and a half more left for service. The sermons on its own usually go for an hour plus!

When we got there, Elijah, along with his parents were welcomed back. I lifted Elijah up for all to see and he gave a big smile, to which I heard giggles and laughter from the crowd. He really knows how to be charming. As the service continued, he didn't want to just sit and listen, but he wanted to speak while the preacher was preaching, so I took him outside. It was a cooler day due to the rain, so standing outside while holding him was not as bad as it could have been...but, we were both sweating. I was thinking then how I would manage if it was one of those stinking hot days and I had to stand outside holding the little guy. It would not be pleasant...

Before going to church, I was thinking about how I might manage nursing him, changing him, and keeping him entertained and quiet for two plus hours. The kurta (Indian garb) provides a little bit of a challenge to nursing because the top is always so long. With diaper changes, there is no place to lay him down except the cement floor...which if I don't have to do it, I'd prefer not to. The church space is pretty compact so it makes some of these normal tasks a bit more challenging for me. We managed to get the nursing done before getting to church and then he listened to mom's request to do his daily business at home and not at church, so those two things got cleared away. And, perhaps by God's grace (heehee) we ended up getting to church an hour late, so I didn't have to keep Elijah entertained and quiet for too long. Towards the end of the service he started nodding off, but then got woken up again by people's voices....Poor guy, napping has been more difficult for him due to noise issues.

While I stood outside carrying Elijah and listening to the sermon, I looked out on to the field behind the church. I saw cows, goats, and sheep roaming. I spent some time pointing them out to Elijah and chuckled at the fact that here in India, the "petting zoo" comes to you (well, we haven't quiet gotten there yet). Then it dawned on me how different the church experience is here in comparison to the States.

Elijah was wiped out from his many interrupted naps and went down for bed at 5:45pm. I am feeling like I am ready to join him.

New Sounds

There are many new sounds to get used to while sleeping here! We, Californians do not know what a thunder really sounds like. Last night we all woke up due to the sound of thunder commanding our attention. Elijah was startled and woke up crying. The barking dogs always manage to wake up our son from his naps. Hopefully, Elijah will get used to them soon. There are also many different languages being spoken around him. Our Nepali friends think that he will pick up Nepali, Hindi, and even Bangla. Our Korean friends, hopefully will help both Elijah and I in our Korean language abilities.

Elijah's New Home--India

We arrived in India on Sunday, June 21st. Currently, we are staying at our friends' home while we get the flat above them ready to move in. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to move into our new flat and really settle in. We have also started reconnecting with our friends. We are finding that Nepalis love babies and of course, Elijah being one adorable baby, everyone wants to hold him. It's a good thing that Elijah is great with strangers and that he is so intrigued by people. So far, my dhaal (lentil) bhaat (rice) diet is working great for Elijah. He broke out in hives while I ate the meals that the airlines provided (even though they were all vegan), but since starting the Nepali diet, his skin has completely cleared up. I am really thankful for it. Dhaal-bhaat is not the epitomy of culinary art, but it is healthy and I am glad that I know that he can have it with no problem. I think I am going to try dairy again and see if it causes any reaction because I would like some ice-cream in this heat!




Top two photos: Getting ready to leave Bangkok for India (yes, I did chop off my hair in Bangkok. Easier to manage and cooler)
Third photo: Elijah, the international traveler
Fourth photo: Elijah meeting our friends
Fourth photo: First bath in India
Fifth photo: With Elizabeth, our house help (and occasional baby sitter--Eli stayed with her for two hours yesterday while we ran some errands.)
Sixth photo: with daddy--Mom brought way too many clothes! Shirtless is the way to go!
Last photo: with daddy singing praise songs in the morning

Here are some cultural differences that I've noticed just being back for a few days in regards to how people interact with babies:

• they are more free to touch other people's babies. Strangers would just walk up, touch Elijah's hands and face without asking.
  
• they use their eyes --blinking to play with babies
• they clap their hands and open them up if they want the baby to come to them
• people feel free to walk in and out of room (men included) while I am nursing. In a way, I am glad that I don't have to be so careful because it is really hard for me to imagine trying to use the nursing cover in this heat.

Almost there....

in India, that is. We flew out of Los Angeles on June 17th and arrived in Thailand after 16 hours on the plane. We feel very fortunate that Elijah is turning out to be a great traveler. Paul and I have also learned that there are some privileges that come with having a baby. We don't have to wait in line at the gate for boarding. We even got to walk up to the front of the line for customs at the airport in Thailand! Smiles and kindness from strangers are readily available. It has been fun for me to see people lighten up when Elijah smiles at them. Some appear to be so pleased and I have heard them say, "He smiled at me!" It makes me want to smile at people more....there is something about giving a smile and getting a smile back.


The last two days in Bangkok have been pretty relaxing. We took Elijah to the hospital to get his six months vaccination and we were told that it is still too early to get the shots. So, the doctor prescribed the meds for us to take back to India and in about three weeks, we need to find a nurse administer the shots. We also got stronger meds for Eli's acid reflux because the one we have been using do not seem to be strong enough. Today, he seemed to be doing better than before. He has been able to sleep for longer stretches and not wake up crying in pain. With his food sensitivity, I have to continue watching my diet and slowly reintroduce some things to see if he has any allergic reactions. Unfortunately, because I am pretty certain that he is sensitive to soy, eggs, and dairy, I have not been able to eat Thai food.... I've been craving Thai iced tea! Paul and I were bemoaning the fact that here we are in Thailand and we are eating a Subway sandwich... Oh well. If Eli is allergic to dairy and soy, and if he weans himself, we would need to supply him with goat milk. So, who knows, we might become owners of a goat eventually!

We are leaving for India tomorrow morning. I am eager to return with Paul and Elijah. I have no idea how the transition will go. I expect that the initial week or two will be tough. We will just have to take it one day at a time. We read today that Siliguri has been experiencing severe power cuts for the last couple of days and that it has been sweltering hot.... I am praying that the power comes back on as we return because without it, I can't refrigerate Elijah's vaccines. I guess when I think about all the ways that life just feels unpredictable there, I could feel some anxiety rising up within me. But the reality is that life is challenging in general. Jesus even said it--that each day has enough troubles of its own, so we should not worry about tomorrow. So, that is what I am trying to do. I can anticipate some of the challenges, do my best to prepare for them, but to not spend my energy worrying; ultimately, I have no control over what will happen tomorrow. I am much more aware of this reality living in India and I feel like there is something good and healthy about that....

5 Months Old