Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Friday May 13, 2005

5:30 p.m.
DotThoughts is very exhausted. And huge. And tired of people asking her if she is having twins. She comes home from work, vowing to go back for half a day on Monday, shut down everything and tell her bossman she is going to work from home or not work atall until the baby arrives. The baby, a son who has yet no name, is due to arrive on May 21.

6:00 p.m.
DotThoughts’ mother makes her some tea and the duo head to Costco to buy some cereal and rice and other things. A woman by the jewelry counter asks when DotThoughts is due. In a week, replies DotThoughts. “I think you will take longer than that.” The woman says surveying DotThoughts’ belly. DotThoughts’ mother restrains DotThoughts as she tries to harm the said lady. The lady doesn’t back down. “I have 8 kids.” She says. “Let me tell you a trick. You walk for three hours and rest for three hours. Repeat until you go in labor.” Okaaaay. DotThoughts is ready to try anything at this point.

7:00 p.m.
A proper dinner can actually be cooked today. No more microwaved TV dinners. The kitchen, which was being renovated, has been sorta completed. Finally. After 2.5 months. The sink is connected and everything is running well. No tiled backsplash yet, but we can cook at least. DotThoughts’ mother asks her what she feels like eating for dinner. Varan-Bhaat and Bhaji (plain dal, rice and pakora). The house fills with fragrant basmati and ghee and crisp kanda-batata bhaji being fried. The meal is eaten with great gusto.

8:00 p.m.
Everybody is watching TV. DotThoughts is slumped in a bean bag, tired, telling BigGeek about the woman in Costco and her labor-inducing tricks. She is doing all that walking tomorrow, she announces. “What about the acupressure thingy you have been doing?” he asks. The acupressure trick is to press the base of your left thumb to go into labor. “I have been doing that since yesterday. Every 10 minutes.” She massages the sore spot under her left thumb. “It hurts now. My hand is sore. And Dr. V thinks I won’t be early when she examined me yesterday. I need a new trick.”

10:00 p.m.
Everybody is in bed. DotThoughts can’t sleep. Not because of the excitement of impending mother hood (even though it is just a week away) but because she can find no position that comes close to comfortable. BigGeek is lying next to her, snoring. In the room across the hall, she can hear the faint sound of the TV in her mother’s room. She thinks about joining her mother but getting up without help is a problem.

10:30 p.m.
Boredom takes over. After several minutes involving balancing acts, sheer will power and mind-boggling logistics, she decides to head to her mother’s room. The two watch TV for some time. But 40 minutes later, DotThoughts’ mother is feeling sleepy. “I am going to keep the door to my room open.” She says. “You do the same, so I can hear you if you need anything.” DotThoughts nods and decides to go to bed.

11:30 p.m.
DotThoughts is back in her room. Her mother is fast asleep. DotThoughts can’t sleep. She is very squeamish. After another round of balancing acts, logistics and the like, she heads in to the bathroom, bends over the toilet bowl and throws up. “BigGeek, BigGeek” she calls faintly to her snoring husband. “I am throwing up. I need help. I can’t get up.” She is greeted by louder snores. Wondering how to get up, she calls out again and again. She is so exhausted, he voice is so faint, she wonders if she must crawl out of the bathroom. Suddenly by the door her mother appears. She helps DotThoughts get up and wash and to bed. BigGeek is still snoring. DotThoughts is very angry. “Come sleep in my room.” Her mother tells her. DotThoughts shakes her head. Her mother is a BIG snorer. Sleeping in three feet vicinity of her means no sleep. “You snore a lot.” She tells her mother. “I am sleeping here.” “Okay. Let’s keep the doors open, so I can hear you.” DotThoughts’ mother goes back to bed. DotThoughts is very angry at BigGeek. She pokes him in the belly. Hard. He doesn’t wake up. She shakes him. “What??” he wakes up. “I threw up just now.” She tells him accusingly as if that was his fault. “When?” asks BigGeek. “Just now. I called you so many times. Even Aie heard it in her room” DotThoughts is angry. “I was asleep.” BigGeek tells her. “Okay let’s go to bed now.” DotMom is feeling a little vindicated after having woken up BigGeek and she is feeling infinitely better after the puke session. She falls into a light sleep.

Continued...

14 comments:

By Deepa and Supriya said...

keep going..and i see a b'day is ahead..is it today??

Happy b'day li'l chip
Did your mommy do a flip?
Now that you are three
It's time to sing in glee!
No more tantrums from you
Mommy's smile is worth a view!!

O.k , i will stop!!

Savani said...

orchie: dang orchie. yes. wait and watch :) I LOVE the rhyme. I am going to sing that instead.

noon said...

Loved the last bit - can imagine it happening here! :) Poking and prodding happens - takes me for ever to get B to wake up and move over - since he usually sleeps in my spot next to KB's toddler bed since he goes to bed earlier than me...

I love Lucy said...

So Chipper is a taurean too :) Yay for us Taureans!!
Will you be online sometime tomorrow?

Sukhaloka said...

LOL@ Orchie's rhyme :)

Happy Birthday Chip - it's tomorrow, is it?

~nm said...

I had a laugh at the poking th hubby bit. But I know how angry you must have been.

Eagerly waiting for the next part...

Mona said...

aww, happy birthday chip!
what a great way to ring in the birthday!

B o o said...

Happy Birthday to darling Chip! Hope to see some photos of him on his special day! Write the second post already! :)

Anusha said...

cant wait for part 2!
and yea, your anger is 100% justified. I'd have just abt rolled over my husband if he hadn't woken up at that panic call. (as you know, rolling over another human at that (this?) stage can be quite dangerous for said human!)

Anonymous said...

Woooo, keep it coming.

I see a loooot of 'Dotthoughts is angry' :)

Happy birthday Chip.

Yet Another Mother Runner said...

Waiting for Part 2...
Happy Birthday Chip!

Tania said...

When is chip turning three.Is it the 14th?
Great writeup.Keep it coming. You do this with your stories,keep them dangling mid air(remember your and BG's story-it was a cliffhanger) :)
Happy Birthday lil Chip.

Maggie said...

Don't tell me - you and Chip share a birthdate? How cool is that?!

Savani said...

noon: lol.. why does he sleep in your spot??

i love lucy: with a set of extra-large horns. I'll be online tomm. ping me.

suki: ain't it cute :) she rocks.

~nm: BigGeek had asked me when I was preggo if he could sleep if I went into labor at night after a long day (for him). I was fuming.

mona: the budday is May 14 :)

boo: will put in a pic from the day he was born, sure :)

kodi's mom: lol.. preggo is bringing the testosterone out. I am betting its a boy.

utbtkids: DotThoughts is happy now :D buddy is may 14. dang. everyody is confused. I blame orchie.

gnd: thanks and et tu?

tania: yay! finally someone who got it right :) YESSSS Mam. May 14 it is.

maggie: now you are making me reveal state secrets. I am a day later.