👭 My gal pal 👯

We are 3 sisters. Growing up, I NEVER missed having a brother!

My mother was the target of much sarcasm and gossip because she had 3 daughters, as if she had committed a serious crime by giving birth to us! Although generally in Assam, the birth of a daughter is celebrated, my mom heard it from many people.

I was always fond of babies. My youngest sister was the first baby I held in my arms as a 6 and a 1/2 years old.

Throughout my school and college life, I always thought it would be wonderful to have daughters. I didn't know what it was like to have boys in the house but I had seen my aunts, who had only sons, suffering. God answered my prayers and blessed us with 2 beautiful daughters!

This blog is about our firstborn - Naomi.

Naomi was born during the Navratras in 2006. Hence the name. Also, it's a name easy enough for my Assamese relatives to pronounce.

Adit still remembers the moment he held her in his arms for the first time. He was smiling and crying at the same time, overcome with emotions. Baby Naomi was looking at him wide eyed as if to say - Oh! So you are my Dad! Unlike other babies she didn't close her eyes after birth. She was observing, looking everywhere and probably assessing her dad!

Of course, I had sleepless nights and tiring days, although Adit was with me all day, helping to change nappies, while I rested. My parents would spend the later half of the day with me as they were both busy with jobs in the morning. Mummy, Daddy and my sisters helped me out as and when they could.

The first month was simply crazy!

Naomi was the baby everyone wanted to babysit. Quiet but playful, clean and pleasant. She was a happy baby. Every morning she would wake up with a smile, no matter who was in front of her. She was blessed to have both sets of grandparents and all her aunts pampering her all the time!

Naomi was a "tall" baby. I'm glad she took after her father as far as height goes! In fact, a lot of people say she is her Dad's carbon copy. Although temperamentally she is exactly like me.😎😏

If there's one thing everyone appreciates about her, it's her food habits. Since her baby days, she loved having non veg, but she was never a fussy eater. I never made special 'baby food' for her! Till date, she is the child who will finish the food on her plate and her tiffin without a fuss! Her cousins call her "the cousin who eats all her food"!

Naomi today is quite the bookworm. She was about 5 months old when I started reading books to her, while she held the books and turned pages. By the time she was 6years old, she was reading books on her own.

When I was expecting our second child, Naomi was adamant that she only wants a sister , not a brother, and she would call her Zinnia. I fervently prayed for another daughter, while trying to convince Naomi about the advantages of having a brother. But she was having none of it because all the boys around her were so naughty that she just didn't like boys!

I can only say I'm glad it was a baby sister💜

Another thing I noticed very early on was that Naomi liked harmony. Sudden loud sounds like kids bursting balloons during birthday parties scared her a lot , so did thunder! But she could sleep peacefully no matter how high the volume of music was!

Anyways, her fear of bursting balloons was so bad that I used to leave the birthday parties halfway before kids started with it!

She truly taught me what being a mother is.... She taught me unconditional love and unlimited patience. I was lucky I could give her all my time and attention when she needed it the most!

Unlike what people generally believe, babies don't come with a manual nor is the mother a mind reader! For first time parents, every moment is one of learning about the new person and about parenting. I also learnt with trial and error, along with the flood of advice pouring in from all sides!

Today, as a teenager, I find her to be mature and wise beyond her years.

She is like a gal-pal who wants to know how my day was and would understand my moods just by looking at my face.

She is my dance partner when we hit the dance floor and a passionate BTS fangirl like moi! In fact, she is the one who introduced me to BTS and K Pop!

She is the one I like to 'hang out with' when we have a girls' day out!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that even though she doesn't look it, she is still just a child, who needs love, attention and appreciation.