The Family Is Complete

 #USA

Post#16

It was the first of November 1993 when we landed on US soil. Amita still didn’t have a single tooth and spoke very limited words. 

Once we arrived at Los Angeles airport ( LAX) Aai wouldn’t let me strain myself with the long walk knowing that the baby’s health was threatened. If there is a most embarrassing moment in my life (and a photo to remind me of it ) it was when she made me sit in a wheelchair, Amita on my lap and pushed me from the baggage claim to the arrival area where Abhay was waiting for us ! She absolutely would not take a no 🤦🏻‍♀️

At the time Amita could say Aai,aaji, maashi ( for Mavshi).  In India she knew her ajoba, mama and everyone else male was kaka. As soon as she saw Abhay and he smiled at her she looked at me and pointing her finger at him and said “kaka”. It was hilarious because of the innocence involved. But sad at the same time. In the six months that she was away she had forgotten Abhay. Abhay had missed out on precious 6 months of bonding with her.

As we got home,priority was to get Amita’s immunizations updated and see my obstetrician to catch up with my pregnancy care.  The obstetrician this time was a White American man Dr Peter Geddes. He was recommended by Amita’s pediatrician. He was very caring, yet a  no nonsense guy which I really liked. No small talk and yet very personable. 

He did the first ultrasound upon my return. There it was again staring at me ,the IUGR. The Dr suggested I do weekly ultrasounds until delivery so he could make a decision to intervene if necessary. So week by week I showed up only to find there was no improvement. 

The due date was November 29th. Four weeks had passed since coming from India and yet not much happening. Thanksgiving came and went. December arrived. About 7 pm on December 3rd I started having contractions. Abhay was working overnight that day. His co-fellow’s husband who lived in our apartment complex took me to the hospital. Aai stayed home with Amita. 

It was rather awkward checking into the hospital in labor with someone else’s husband 😀. His face was flushed and he didn’t know how to comfort a woman in labor . I told him don’t worry, you go home. I’ll be ok.  After initial hesitation over how to leave me by myself he returned home. I went through the night’s ordeal with no one by my side. 

Early morning Abhay got back from work straight to the hospital. Dr Geddes arrived soon thereafter. 7:13 am December 4th ,the window on my left side gave a glimpse of the rising sun and the same moment my son made his debut into my life. 

His style of surprise was different from his sister’s . He had kept his well-being a top secret, not his masculinity. That IUGR on ultrasound was completely erroneous. This fellow weighed more than Amita did at birth.  His lean body habitus had fooled technology !

Aai beamed with pride. Her brood was now complete with Snow White and the Seven (not so) Dwarfs !

His name was picked in advance when I didn’t know if my baby was going to be a girl or a boy. Amita had just made him wait in line for 2 years !

Advait : one without a second ! Shankaracharya’s philosophy describing the indivisible parabrahma ! Krishna himself ! 

What more could I possibly want after this ? 

I am showcasing another Jijamata saree . This is in blue with red borders and the typical jari design on the borders. I had draped it for the baby shower in Pune as well as draped it at home upon arriving from India in 1993 just before Advait’s birth.