Anticipation of Baby Number One

#USA

Post#10

Vacation over and Abhay was back to his work. I took up my books to study for FMGEM exam. Foreign graduates had to take these in 2 parts in those days instead of USMLE 1&2 before they could apply for residency.

The obstetrician visits were continuing alongside. Tummy was getting bigger and my salwar kameezes from India were no longer fitting. A friend graciously offered and let me borrow her maternity clothes . I didn’t need more than a pair as I was not working outside of home. Basically only needed these for Dr visits . Social gatherings with friends on weekends continued intermittently. For that my sarees came handy. Surprisingly blouses were very accommodating 😉 till the end. 

While it was still good weather we would go see the Buckingham fountain near Lake Shore Drive. Michigan Avenue, what was known as the Magnificent Mile was my favorite to take a stroll. I would dream of splurging one month’s salary there someday after I had my own income. Ironically when I started working we were no longer in Chicago and even later when we visited the Windy City the desire to buy anything there had died down.

Some time in early November one of Abhay’s  friends/ collegemate hosted and pampered me with a baby shower,Gujarati style. Everyone we knew was invited. Another of Abhay’s college mates stepped into the role of my brother and applied the red Kumkum paste on my cheeks. All baby gifts were gender neutrals ( yellow, green) because no one knew whether it was a girl or a boy.

As I entered my third trimester walking to the obstetrician’s appointments became increasingly tiresome. Winter was at the doorstep. I would waddle my way through the wind and cold all alone. Darkness would fall early too. The neighborhood was not safe. Mugging incidents were common. But there was no one I could call to accompany me to these visits. Besides, having managed my life by myself in Mumbai since the age of 15 it was not in my bones to call for help. 

The elders in India started worrying about who would be there for the delivery and after. My siblings were still in college and mom couldn’t abandon her medical practice. I was quite confident I would manage on my own but my MIL would not take a no. “If your mom can’t come, I will come” she insisted . I called my MIL also Aai but with aho/ tumhi , not A/ tu. 

The baby wasn’t expected until January 7th 1992. Aai had arrived before Thanksgiving and was staying in SanDiego for a bit before  flying into Chicago on December 28th 1991. 

Sometime in the afternoon that day Abhay and me went to receive Aai at the airport. It was a looong walk inside the terminal to the gate and back to the car. I was barely able to keep pace with Abhay and he kept insisting that I keep walking fast. Same thing he had done in Vegas. Don’t know what was up with this man to make me walk marathons each time 🙄

That evening a Marathi couple friend of ours , Dr Uday Talwalkar and his wife Seema,were hosting a baby shower for me. They had planned it so Aai could attend. We came home from the airport, freshened and changed to go to the shower. I chose a saree gifted by Aai . She had given it to me on the occasion of my first mangalagaur when I was still in India waiting for my visa. Turned out to be a lovely evening. Aai was really happy to see the ceremony conducted in the traditional Marathi way. She loved traditional celebrations.We returned home late and quite tired . Aai because of her travel from California and me because of all the walking Abhay had forced me to do at the airport. 

I had a dilemma which saree to choose for this post because there is reference to two baby showers here. Will share the one I draped for the Gujarati shower in November 1991.

This was another of my splurges during residency days in Mumbai. Another Silk Benarasi. This one is a tanchhoi. It has a dhoop chhaav with green in warp and purple in weft with extra fibers to create a fine design on the body. Pallu base is green and has jari work. There are jari borders and jari buttis. Close up photo later.

Will share pictures in this saree taken in my KEM resident quarters soon after my wedding ( photos taken by Abhay)in 1990 and from my baby shower in Chicago in 1991. Check later for these. Also a photo of me and Aai at Chicago airport when we picked her up on December 28th 1991. May add a couple of photos later.

The later baby shower saree will feature in the next post.