Naming Aanya

Throughout my pregnancy i thought i was having a boy. Not as a bias of any sort, just a gut feeling. And you know how people judge by your tummy and hips and eating habits whether you'll have a son or daughter, my usual reviews were that of a boy. MMW and i had decided to look up baby names once the second trimester was over, basically after the seventh month customary 'godh bharai' or 'shaadh' as we call it in bangla. 

I only looked up boy names. MMW had one condition, just one in the entire baby naming process, the name had to start with A. So that narrowed it down immensely. And most of the names were so common that i didn't even bother listing them. My primary resource was the internet and a book by Menaka Gandhi on baby names borrowed from a friend. 

One sleepless night (as are most nights during the last phase of huge tummy days), in my ninth month, i suddenly woke up MMW, "what if it's a girl? we haven't thought of any girl baby names? she'll feel so bad!" And thus began the hunt for a beautiful baby girl name. In a couple of days i chalked out an entire list of names and their meanings. Between the two of us, we'd picked and finalised a boy and girl name. In my enthusiasm i checked out the numerology implications of the spellings et all (my pregnancy website had a tool for the same!)

That moment on the 21st of april 2011 is etched in my memory forever. In the OT, in my blindfold i heard the baby cry for the first time. The doctors were busy stitching me up and i was itching with curiosity. The anesthetist very hesitantly asked me, "what did u want?" and believe me at that moment i only wanted to know that i'd had a healthy baby. "Here's your baby girl", he said, opening my blindfold for a second. My wet cheeks touched her soft face and she was taken away. 

A very drowsy and heavily drugged me was wheeled in to the room post operation. The baby was put in a cradle next to me. MMW couldn't stop smiling. Between all the congratulatory calls, visits and the sudden added responsibility, he whispered in my ear "So, shall i register her as Aanya?". I smiled, and nodded and that's how we named our Aanya. 

It means inexhaustible in sanskrit and gracious in hebrew. Before we named her, we'd hardly heard of any Aanyas. Now, everyone i know knows another Aanya. Yet, there's only one Aanya Purkayastha- our most awaited, most petted, most pampered- our first one!

Her canvas

Her tiny fingers dabbled with paint for the first time today. Aanya finally discovered the joy of messing around with paints. 

I laid out newspapers on a tiled surface and kept a chart paper (read her canvas) in the center. In a plate i put some green, red and yellow paint and showed her once what needed to be done. Very soon, the plate looked brown, thanks to the heartless fusion of the three. 

What followed was a little confused yet fun and messy exploration of texture. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking with a promise that it's definitely not the last time she felt colours.

I don't know why i made the silly mistake of bathing her before the experiment. Anyway, lesson learnt. Oh, and i've kept her canvas and bloomer as souvenirs. 

  

Space matters

It's the free space and exposure to the company of many others that's turning her in to more of a social being. First thing in the morning she wants to explore the outside, play ball, say hi to the birdies and run around. Finally i think hunger drives her back in.  

My theory is, at home there's only so much she can do and is then constrained by space. Here she's found boundary less space. Hence, more to explore and even more to engage her naughty mind in. She's not threatened by unfamiliar territory. It takes her just a few minutes to warm up to the new place. 



And i'm talking out of experience. In the last month she's visited her thammu's place in Delhi, family friends' places also in Delhi, her ammu-dadu's house, the golf course, my dad's colleagues place in Amritsar, my aunt's place, cousins house, friends place and uncles' house in Mumbai. She's never clung on to me for too long. She's definitely a social baby. As long as she gets her food, sleep and diaper change on time. 

After the sweet taste of space and the meaning it brought to her existence, i introduced her to the train. Paradoxical situation leading to one of the most horrendous experiences of my life with aanya. Train compartment=no freedom of space=feeling of being chained! Umpteen end to end walks of the compartment were taken (I could hear almost all the passengers empathising with mumma and me), songs and rhymes were repeated, so much so that the co-passengers also learnt them by heart, books were read aloud, extensive doodling on the slate was observed and the the toys animated their story till she was bored. There was nothing we didn't try. 

Moral of the story. If you have a child like Aanya, travel by train before she can start walking or after she is old enough to use the loo herself! Preferably travel with spouse; never alone. 

17th month update

She's definitely become smarter in the last couple of weeks. She understands more. Can express more. She even drags me by my hand to show me what exactly she wants. She follows and imitates. To the tee.

The other day my mum was upset about something and was sitting on the sofa with her palm covering her face. For a long time little missy tried to humour her with the antics, even tried a fake laugh, and when all failed, she sat down beside her copying her exact facepalm gesture! Of course all of mumma's worries vanished in a jiffy!


Every day has fascinating 'aanya moments'. Mostly good, sometimes annoying and sometimes painful (for her)!

She picks up the mobile and has an entire one sided conversation with her papa, including a little laugh somewhere mid-way (almost like he'd shared a joke), and doesn't end the call without saying 'bah' (bye). She tried the same with a corded fixed landline one day and was taken by surprise when the phone wouldn't move beyond a certain point. Innocence of a child born in 2011 i say!

Another day, she was flipping through one of her first word picture books, when she started saying 'meow-meow'. It was the first time i saw her relating picture to a sound i'd taught her. The feeling was great! Yesterday she saw the picture of a black panther and 'meowed' again. Not her fault. It does belong to the cat family! Innocence of a child, period!

Two weeks back aanya made a certain discovery. She discovered the apple. I never thought something as plain and simple as an apple could be so fascinating and complicated for a toddler. She began by calling it 'aapa'. Then, any and every fruit became 'aapa'. Even a tomato was 'aapa'. There was an 'aapa' hidden in one corner of my aunt's fridge. She managed to see it through the various utensils and almost threw a fit till she got a slice to herself. She cried like crazy at the railway station because one of the stalls had fresh tomatoes piled up at their counter and she wanted one of those 'aapas' only. As of today the 'aapa' has evolved to 'aple'. (and i haven't misspelt it ).

'Bhaiya' is yet another word she speaks fluently. No mistake in pronunciation even. More so, bhaiya is a good friend. He plays with her. Gives in to most of her demands and doesn't even try to discipline. He shows her the kittens and willingly carries her when wants.   

Now we come to the part where i scold her for being mischievous and she fake cries at once with tears rolling down while looking at one of the grandparents for sympathy. (Thankfully they let me do my bit and console her only after she's corrected her mistake). The best part is, within two minutes its all forgotten and she's back to being her naughty old self. 

Aanya is crossing all her milestones month by month; and i'm becoming more patient with each passing month. Even though the gray hair on my head speak a different language!