Lalita, Kotmich and Me

This has been a crazy four months for me - and while I have lived under the illusion that my life has not changed all that much - meaning I can still read my favorite political biographies, latest being a 900-page JFK: A Biography by historian Michael O'Brian, meaning I can still go to Starbucks for my soothing mocha session once a week, meaning Kotmich and I still have movie nights once our Lalita falls asleep at the usual time, 7 pm - well, leave aside all that, my life is not the same anymore. I am at home, caring for a kicking and screaming (literally -she is a soprano) baby which happens to be mine :). Among the thousands of things we can no longer do with Kotmich are:
* Dining out in our favorite Adams Morgan or Du Pont Circle or Pentagon City spots, completely aimlessly and wondering what to do next.
*Chilling out inTryste - an entel dantel type of salash coffee shop where you can cozy up unnoticed by anyone on an antique smelly sofa, and enjoy your latte - completely un-Washington type of a rare experience (yup this place is too bureaucratic)
* Movie nights - they were our favorites, especially the shallow science fiction types and James Bond movies, they are down the shute too. The max we can do is rent a DVD and watch it with subtitles on, since the baby might wake up if the noise is too loud.
* Having meaningless excruciating and cathartic philosophical dialogues with spouse - we can only pause from our daily routines for a brief hi and bye accompanied by half a glass of Merlot, and then it is time for our movie, a quick supper, or a Starbucks.... No time for procrastinating and meaningless fluff.
Having said that, baby is growing and beginning to peep into the pages of the book I am reading - she is also learning when it is time for lunch and when it is time for play. She has discovered her hands can hold a rattle and today for the first time we went outside to say hi to Sun and birds and melting snow - she seemed to enjoy it, next time will be more fun.





*

This was sent to me by a close friend, and of course, this one is dedicated to my female friends:

MAYA ANGELOU'S BEST POEM EVER
>
> WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
> enough money within her control to move out
> and rent a place of her own even if she never wants
> to or needs to...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her
> dreams wants to see her in an hour...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...
> a youth she's content to leave behind....
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
> retelling it in her old age...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
> a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black
> lace bra...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who
> lets her cry...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> a good
piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone
> else in her family..
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a
> recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
>
>A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
> a feeling of control over her destiny...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> how to fall in love
without losing herself..
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
> BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
> AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> that she can't change the length of her calves,
> the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but its
> over...
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> whom she can trust,
> whom she can't,
> and why she shouldn't
> take
it personally...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
> where to go...
> be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
> or a charming inn in the woods...
> when her soul needs soothing...
>
>EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
> what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
> a month...and a year...
>
>SEND THIS TO 3 WOMEN....
> You will have good luck for an entire day.
>
>SEND THIS TO 6 WOMEN....
> You will have good
luck for all of the year or if
> nothing else... you know that you are truly
> loved and thought of by the friend who sent this to
> you...and that she only wishes the best for you and your
life.

Lara: our baby. And as for what else is going on in our life, today is the first winter day, snowed the entire night and so much snow accumulated that many of our neighbors decided to stay at home. It it is a beautiful crystal snow day, and while I am mostly indoors, this is not stopping me and my baby girl from enjoying the magnificent view out of my bedroom window.

The Mystique of Life

The few moments I have for myself are dedicated to the other woman who lives within me. For the last couple of years, reading has been my blood and flesh, and I seriously doubt I would feel as strong had I not been acquainted - from books - with some of the most powerful, legendary women profiles of Washington DC. Those are women without whom Washington would simply be quite a different place. Accidentally coming to the place which is famous for its statuesque female characters - literally - tilted my perspective towards female prowess. One woman, for example, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, is so notorious she is also known as "the other Washington Monument". Of course, they were usually born into great wealth and privilege, hence they could be who they are - while most of the rest of us choose to be conformists and followers of our times. So, speaking of the other woman within, I wonder if she exists, and if she does, what is the course of action she would take in this moment of life to achieve her hopes.

Where to begin? It has been a long time, and my life before Lara (Lala or Yaya as we call her) now seems a distant memory. Our three month old baby girl is growing each day, and I find myself watching her grow with a silent melancholy, thinking of each passing second as a second bygone, a moment lost to time, a moment I shared with my baby. Every day is a new one with a baby, yet it is true that they grow so fast, you can't help but realize even in your sleep-deprived state that the day will come when Lala will no longer be the baby she is now. Right now, it is dark and windy outside, she is sleeping peacefully in her crib, finally able to sleep through the night - more or less. I had read in a book "Just when you think you have become a Zombie, your baby will sleep through the night." How true! I have already started to think of activities for Lala, and swimming seems like a good start. I am planning to introduce her to swimming when she is 9 months old, and if she likes it, we will keep it up. I also cant wait for her to grow for a couple of more months, so that I can start oil-painting again. My idea is to put her in a baby sling facing forward and let her draw along with mommy - using her hands as brushes.