Umbilical Cord -> Out, Belly Button <- In

Ria Umbilical Cord finally fell off yesterday. That's the last physical bind she had to the womb, she is now completely detached (physically), and has a cute little belly button. Hmmm.. maybe I'll post a pic of it :-)

Love,

Million Dollar Smile

THAT'S MY GIRL!



How 'bout that?

Be sure to let Ria know what you think about her smile :)

Love,

Ria POTD (Picture Of The Day)

Here's another pic of Ria. I will try to post new pics as we take them. Shooting for maybe
1 a day.



Check her out in her kewl bell bottoms! Stylin & Profilin.

Click the title for some more pics, and let me know how you guys like imagestation instead of shutterfly.

Love,

Meet the family.........

Ria is so fortunate to have so many people that love her. She was just in demand this weekend, that no body cared about me or Sami :-) Actually, we have no problem with that. Enjoy the pics, and I will post shutterfly link soon.




*** EDIT: Shutterfly link added. Click on the topic to view those pictures. ***

Full House

Ria will meet a lot of family today! Most everyone from Charlotte is coming over to play with Ria, and it's a going to be a packed house. I hope Ria likes all the company and attention.....she should, I thought all women did ;-)

I will post pictures of the gathering later, in the same post..so check back on sunday or even monday.

Ria is doing fine so far...she cries...but all babies do. She eats, and it seems she wants to put everything in her mouth...Sami said, she might even eat her own cheeks if she could get to them. That only proves that she has inherited the good ole Dharmesh appetite...OH MY!!! Good Luck Ria.

Take Care,

Current Conditions: Hurricane Ria

So she's finally here. I am sure she would have stayed in there longer if that option was Availaible to her, but everyone was getting too anxious to meet her. I guess the feeling sinks in more and more day by day....that she is MY daughter. Filling out forms and writing YOUR name down in the parents section is an amazing feeling.

There is ofcourse going to be a little less sleep, but let me tell you this..when you hear your baby cry, sleep takes the back stage. She has been really good about crying too....she only does it when she is hungry or needs her diaper changed, and she sleeps like a ... hmm...baby?

It is amazing how much Sami has to go through to bring Ria into this world. She has been SO strong through this whole process, where no doubt, there was a lot of pain. Yet, there is not a single world of complain from her. My hats off to her, and I thank her for giving us ALL the wonderful gift of... RIA.

Here's to welcoming the girl, that will stay on my #1 spot for a VERY VERY long time. (sorry sami, mom, tinu & dolly :) )

She is My Baby..Always and forever!

She is only my baby....no matter what anybody else says....She will always be my baby....She is soochh sooochhh cute....No matter what anybody writes she is after all gonna be with me 24/7 hurrayyyyy.......Congrats brother and bhabhi...and thanks a lot for the wonderful gift...Adoption paper's should be here any day now =) hehe....I can' wait for her to come home today...Everything is going to be change...what a difference one person makes...Life will never be the same...it has gotten a lot better now....I sometimes wonder if I can handle all this happiness....she is wonderful....Lots of love and best wishes for Ria....

Ladies And Gentlemen, Introducing . . .

For the VERY first time......

RIA MADHU TOPIWALA



Birthday: October 29th, 2004
Time: 2:05pm
Weight: 8lbs 4oz (!!!!)
Height: 22in (!!!!)
Labor Time: 6.5 Hrs

Mother and Daughter are doing great, and cant wait to come home. To get more pictures of Ria, click on the title.

Daddy's little girl is here, and life changes from here.

Excited, Nervous, Tired......

RIA HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING!

YEAH! Shes here, finally.
Im waiting for the pictures!, Where are the pictures? :)
Can't wait to meet her next weekend. Maybe next weekend.

Il let Dharmesh bhai or Sami Bhabhi post more when they can.

-Peace,
Ku

Pay no mind to the countdown :-)

Yea... ignore the countdown :( Unfortunately Ria is not here yet. But soon... it's time to get your party hats on guys & gals & arjun!!!!!

Get EXCITED....Get VERY EXCITED!

Hopefully my next post will be PICTURES of Ria.

Cant Wait,


**EDIT: With the help of PiyuKaka, the countdown is more accurate now. Thanks Priyesh.

Where is Ria?????!?!?!?

Two more days ONLY! Well I hope its Two more days only...its a very stubborn baby bhabhi says its a slow baby....(ahem gone on dad I believe) Well I hope everything goes well...it won't be long we will be one busy family....ahhh I can already smell those diapers hmmm......I can't wait for the baby to pee on my clothes it will be so exciting....*sigh* anytime now...

Bhuwaaa....

Wheres the party yaar! lol

Time is getting closer and closer, can't wait till the big day. :D We better have a party, lol. Itl be fun to do it. Im performing for sure! Well I just felt like posting something since I havent in a while.
-Peace,
Ku

Tick Tock Tick Tock.....

Does anyone else see the numbers on the right side getter smaller and smaller :-) It says 29 days... but that's full 40 weeks. The doctor has said that a "normal" delivery could be anytime between 09/26-10/20 . So could be next week..or a couple of weeks after that...


Are you excited? I know "I" am..... :)

More Later,
Pappa Pyare

Purple Rain !!

Well well well .... painting the room was a big task, but as usual..we got it done just fine. Here are two pics from the album, and you can access the rest by clicking on the Title :-)


This is the first touch of paint in the room...by the parents to be :-)

And..this is the almost complete room.

It was a lot of fun. We are going to put a princess border on the wall soon. Will post pics for that as well. Let me know what you think about the color, and how it looks.

Pappa Pyare.

Some Updates.....

Well time for some updates now......

1) We went to another doctors visit this friday, and everything was just fine. The doctor said that another 2.5 weeks and we should be home free....meaning that if Sami goes into labor after 2.5 weeks , then the baby would be perfectly normal and healthy. It doesnt mean that she WILL delivey in 2.5 weeks...but IF she does, then it's perfectly normal. So i guess we have to wait out another 17 days..... :-)

2) We are painting Ria's room today. The color was decided to be light purple. Me and Angi were over-ruled by Sam, Dolly, and Anjun :-P ..... and the side switcher that shall not be named .. *cough*mom*cough*... I should take something for this cough. We already bought all the paint and brushes....so anyone who wants to give us a hand... come on over after 3 pm. Me, Sam, Dolly, Angi, Anjun will be starting the job, and Mom as usual..will be providing refreshments.......and Anjun....as usual will be finishing them up LOL j/k ;)

Pictures of the painting ..probably tomorrow.

Take Care Folks,
Pappa Pyare

As time gets closer...

Well..it's been a while since "I" updated. Last friday (On Sami's birthday none the less :) ) was the bi-weekly checkup again, and everything went fine. According to the doctor...the babys' head is in the bottom position now, but sami's doesnt seem to believe him.

Being in her 8th month, I thought that the trip to Charlotte we took this weekend would be harder. But it was fairly uneventfull, thanks to Sami I suppose, as there were lots of bumps on the road; and I am sure the baby was giving her hell :-P

Thanks for "hanging in there" :-)

More Later,

Pappa Pyare

Name suggestion...

We all know that if its a girl the name is going to be Ria....But what if? What if? What if you know its a boy....What will be the name be....Couple of suggestions...Vikram,Samay,Aryan....does anybody else have any other suggestions for name for a boy? Please post....

Bi-Weekly Doctor's Visit

So today we went by the doctor for the bi-weekly doctor's appointment. She just asked us if we had any questions, and we got to listen to Ria's heartbeat. It was around 130. The doctor said, "oh, we must have caught her at nap time". It was so cute :-)

Cant wait to SEE her take a nap. Sooooon....sooooon

Pappa Pyare!!

Ria's masi

Heard there's a new little angel on the way who'll bring you a little bit of heaven on earth. wow it is a great feeling to be a masi.. to have someone new to love.. dear sam and dharmesh there is no joy greater than knowing you are bringing a beautiful new life....wishing you all the joys of parenthood.....

Small Update On How To Join/Post

For those of you, who are looking at this website and would like to contribute; send me an email at dharmesh.topiwala+request@gmail.com (make sure to have the +request in there).

Here are the steps that needs to be followed to be able to post on here.

1) You will receive an email from "Blogger Invites" (hotmail users, make sure to check ur junk mail folders, since hotmail tends to put blogger emails in junk/spam folder)

2) You will have a link in that email. Click on that link and accept the invitation.

3) Create a new account with blogger (button should be on the lower left corner)

4) Choose whatever username and password you desire. However, be aware, that the "Display Name" is what is going to show up when you post; so choose a nice simple name.

5) with the above created username and password, log in to your account (through www.blogger.com) and click on the "Special Delivery For Sami & Dharmesh" blog.

6) Be aware that there are people from BOTH sides of the family, and not everyone knows everyone. Your first post would best be kept to introduction.

7) DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT reply to the emails that you get whose reply to address is "riamadhu@googlegroups.com". This is setup so that everyone in the group can get an email when someone makes a new post. If you are not getting this email, or if you would like to STOP getting these emails; email me at the above address and let me know.

8) If you have allready registered and you DO NOT see your name under the contributors list on the right side...something is wrong :-) Update your profile with some information and then see if it shows up, if not.. contact me.

Any other questions, email me at the above address.

Take Care folks, and will update soon with more pictures.

Project: Playpen Status: Complete

Another fun day... Another fun project. Fun Mama (Angad) & Mamu Singh (Arjun) came over again to help with the playpen. (Seems like they just cant get enough of me... or is it the baby that's making them come more now ..hmm cant figure it out)

Here are some more pics to feast your eyes on. Enjoy!!

DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE FOR THE COLOR!!!






Take Care,

Make Your Vote COUNT!!!

Hiya there folks! Painting on Ria's room should start anytime now, however, we cant seem to decide on a color. Help us out, and tell us what you think would be a cool, nice baby color. Help is much appreciated!!



Thanks,

PS: If you select the color+wallpaper option, then please leave a comment on what combination would be good.

Mummy, Pappa, Mama, Foe & Daadi OH MY!!

Pics from today!!! Crib's done..it was fun! :-)



At THIS point.... Someone (who shall not be named) screws up :-) Here's the pic of the screw up, and the next is the punishment.



And so we keep going!

Phew.. that took all my strength.




And Finalllyyyy............



I Guess NOW everyone wants to take their pics with the crib LOL :-)



Daadi Daadi...where are you????



Write back folks...and have fun!! Ria's room is on the start.

Maamu Singh!!!

This is MAAAMMMUUU

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!

This weekend, we (Me, Angad, Arjun, Sami, Dolly) will be setting up Ria's crib, and STARTING on her room.

Future planning includes painting and decorating her room. The color is still not decided upon... but the current favorite seems to be lite bright green. Any color suggestions will be appreciated and considered.

Over and Out....

Maa: The Mother

Throughout the ages, this relationship has stood the test of time. Rituals, ceremonies, cultures, technology changed, but that special bond that a child has with it's mother remains unaltered.

What makes this bond so strong? so special?.

It cant be because the mother loves the child more than the father does, as love for the child is unconditional from both sides. The more logical reason would be the impact that the mother has on the first 9months of the child's unborn life. The child is a PART of the mother, they are one and the same. The needing relationship of the child/mother begins as soon as it is conceived and never stops, even after the umbilical cord is cut. This 9months forms a permanent bond between the child and mother. Quite honestly, I am jealous. Women often complain about the inconveniences of pregnancy and child birth.... and it's quite understandable. But I wouldn't mind going through with it, if it meant that I would know my child better than anyone in the world.

It might be taken as a cliche when your mother says "I know you 9months more than you know yourself", but .. IT'S TRUE.

More Later.....

Me?

Well I hope she doesnt get my ego, It can be good sometimes, But really bad sometimes. I have a huge ego.

Physical: Hansome(lol :D), Honey-Golden eyes, Tall(5'10), Broad Shoulders(I think), Average length forehead, regular calves, muscular, dunno anything else.

Personality(Good): Caring, Loving, I cant think of anymore.

Personality(Bad): Huge Ego, Moody, Bad Tempered, some more I dunno. If I missed some please tell me.

Il add more here later,

-Peace,
Ku

Food For Thought

So what are some thoughts on eating habits of the mother-to-be while
she carries the baby? Would it be fair to the child that the mother
eats food that the baby might not like when it grows up? More
importantly, would it fair to the mother to change her eating habits
to give the baby a choice. What I am trying to say is...Let's say
that you eat chicken while you're pregnant, now wouldnt that be
forcing the baby to eat chicken? What if the baby turns out to be
vegetarian, can she REALLY make a claim that she is vegetarian, when
the foundation of her life; her initial growing process was done on
chicken and fish?

I am not pulling towards either side, but it's an interesting thought.

More to come........

Thoughts of a very excited BHUWAA 2 Be!

Hmmmm...am not sure if I am signing the right blog...should it be Baby Ria or Baby Aryan...I know brother you are going to kill me for writing this but for some reason I am just not convinced. Hey whatever it is I can't tell you guys how excited I am even though I won't be the baby of the family anymore *sob* *sob* but I am happy to give away my spot to the little one..... Oh...! Bhabhi just the spot not the room yet (don't get too happy)....I hope its a very healthy and cute cute baby (Just like me :D). I am really excited October just can't get here soon enuff...I have asked more like begged the baby to kick for me many times but the baby just doesn't listen to me...Stubborn baby I wonder like whom...hmmm...*thinking*

Baby shower was really fun....I guess I will write more as October arrives and I guess I will be the first person to post after the baby arrives to clear up if its Baby Ria or Aryan...till then keep guessing.....

Oh something about my personality...

Physical: You guys don't wanna know...
Good qualities too many too little space...
Bad qualities...I just don't have any...:D

Daughter, Sister, Masi, Bhuwaaaa 2 be, wife never to be.....how ya like that brother?

Hurricane Ria Arrives On Coast Of Sami

Forgot to update :/ Ria is now in full motion for the past couple of
days. According to Sami you can see the stomach move while Ria is
moving around in there. The movement is so much sometimes..that she
cant even get a good nights sleep (poor Sami :( ). She has also
started getting a lot of heartburn, which they say means that the
baby is growing hair. Our baby is growing, and in about 8 -9 weeks
will be between us.

Cant Wait.

Dharmesh

I, Ria

The family is starting to gather around now :-) I will change the
description of the blog from "A loving couple" to "A loving Family" to
reflect this change.

Discussions/Thoughts of the day:

1) The reason I choose the title as I, Ria (no it's not to copy the
movie I, Robot), is to wonder what personality would Ria have? Would
she go more on the Ahuja family....Topiwala family or the Bulsara
family? As the generations keep growing, the arriving child gets a
much bigger gene pool to swim in. For eg., Ria will have the option
to aquire from ALL the gene pools that I have been a part of + ALL the
gene pools that Sami has been a part of. However scary that may
sound, it wont be that hard to figure out who she is imitating when
she exhibits a certain behaviour. Keeping that in mind... I would like
for each one of you to list the following:

a) Physical Characteristics
b) Personality (Good)
c) Personality (Bad)

Maybe...just Maybe..we'll get an idea of what she CAN have. We'll
start with me, and It would be cool if you guys/gals can comment with
yours.

**Dharmesh Topiwala (Dad-to-be)**

-Physical Characteristics-: Tall (5'10), Broad, Long Nose ( :---) ),
Hairy, huge calves (naturally), long eye lashes, long and fast growing
finger nails, uneven body (right side is higher and shorter then the
left side), no upper lip, square face structure, vascular (lots of
veins, even when I was big), huge hands, big feet.

-Personality (Good)-: Confident, Patient, Intelligent (I think), Loving, Caring.

-Personality (Bad)-: None .. hah J/k. Moody, Bad temper, Jealous,
Sometimes..TOO carefree.

I am sure there are more, as Sami and others will point out..and I
will happily update :-) .


2) Ria will also do something that no doctor, or scientist can do. It
will make blood relatives of two separate families. For eg., Priyesh
and Kunal will be blood related to Angad and Arjun through Ria. Such a
little life..possesses so much power.

More later...

Dharmesh

2nd is ok :P

Well, I'm supposed to tell you about how I can't wait till Ria is born :)
"I can't wait till Ria is born" :)
ok bye!









ok I'm just kidding :D Not about the part where I can't wait though.. it will be awesome! I know one day I will be in the same position as Dharmesh-bhai and will be exponentially more excited! Wow, I'm a geek. Anyway, that will be really great, but until then I will make do with what I have ;) We need to start planning the dance early. I think this time we should do one that even the baby can enjoy. After all, its HER party!

Well, bye for real now
Bigger better post from Dharmesh bhai tomorrow :)
-Me

Ku's perspective

Ha! I get to be the first to post in the blog other then Dharmesh bhai.
Well, The thought of Ria coming in to the family is ku. I cant wait to spoil her Muhahaha! Im gonna teach her to make Bhabi mad. Just say 2 words out of no where "huh?" and "what?" lol Thats getting old...I know Im not the one who is the mos psyched about her coming. I bet Sami Bhabi is the most. Anywho, I still dun get why the baby shower comes before the baby is born. lol. Well Itl be fun to have a party when its born, I knwo im doign a dance with Dharmesh bhai in it. Itl be great. Well thats all I can think of.
-Peace,
Ku

Ria Madhu: Team Member

Just a quick note:

Anyone who is a team member of the blog can write blog enteries. Just
make sure it has something to do with the baby :-)


Another update tomorrow. Feel free to post a blog about Ria, and how
you cant wait.

Day 2: Return Of the Blogger

So...I have returned. So much for all those nay sayers who thought I wouldn't keep up with it (Which would be nobody BTW). Couple of things I've been thinking lately, and thought I would share:

1) I don't know about any other parents-to-be, but Sami & I are already madly in love with the baby. Every little move, every little kick is special. So much care and love goes in, even BEFORE the baby is born. Now one would think that our parents went through the same things when we were in the womb. Now that we are all grown up, we sometimes get mad or say mean things to them, without realizing the amount of care and love that went into us as babies and teenagers. I guess it the circle of life...takes a parent to know a parent. I don't even know our baby personally , but I know if she got mad at me, it would hurt my feelings. Live & Learn I guess....Live & Learn.

2) Gift Registries..... that concept apparently eludes the Indian community. The fact that someone would tell you exactly what they want to receive as gifts is apparently mind boggling. They still like to keep the element of surprise in giving gifts (not in a good way, I might add). Obviously, what do WE know about what WE want, they know us WAY better than that. I think they should put that power to good use, cause god knows the world can use some good mind readers right about now. It's not even about the money.... I mean we have gifts registered all the way from $9.99 to $199.99. A $9.99 bib set would do us a lot more good then ....let's say..A photo frame ??? Well ...A lot more to say on that subject.. but you get the drift.

Well...more later...

*edit*

Noticed something during lunch time. Walking with a pregnant woman changes the way people look at you. Everyone is nice to you all of a sudden. That's strange... but I'm taking Sami everywhere I go from now on :-)

*edit2*

3) Would having a kid be more like playing god or guardian? You give life, you shape life, and then you watch the results. If you think about it....ever single one of us gets to play god in our lifetimes. So I wonder, why do we worship something that we ourselves possess the power to do?

We can Give Life (Birth)
We can Shape Life (Raise Kids)
We can Take Life (Kill)
We have the determination and skills to even perform miracles. (child birth, space travel, self healing)

So why dont we take the energy we put into praying and use it to better ourselves. Make ourselves better parents, better educators, better protectors, better scientists. I dont know why...maybe someone can enlighten me. I am not saying that god doesnt exist...I dont want to touch that subject :-)

Blogger: The Arrival

So, I decided to start a blog. I was thinking of a way to jot down all the preparation and excitement that our family shares, waiting for the arrival of our baby. Oh ... BTW...I should mention that my wife of almost 2 years (Sami) is 7 months pregnant with our DAUGHTER.

I cant wait for her to arrive. I will spoil her rotten.

Had the baby shower this weekend, and it was a boat load of fun. We hosted a party at India Palace II restaurant in Morrisville, and a lot of family members showed up. Looking at all the family together, gets me to notice...how each generation seems to get further apart from each other, and the rest of the family. It's really sad, because that's a great part of being Indian.... is the family ties. I will try my best to make sure that the generation that FOLLOWS me, will be better kept in touch with their uncles, aunts and cousins. Anyways...enough of the sappy stuff, and more about the party. It was a blast... there were many individual performances. One in particular surprised me.... My cousin Priyesh. I have always thought of him as a more reserved kind of a person...caring...but reserved. His dancing in the party will be one of the best memories of how much fun the party really was. My sister Dolly also partook in a dance, which also surprised me..in a good way. All in all , everyone did a excellent job in showing their happiness through their dancing.

Me & Sami would like to heartfully thank (In no particular order :) ) Dolly, Priyesh, Kunal, Tushar, Smruti, Angad, Arjun, Paul, Mannu, Hannu, Deserie(sp?), Sukku, Pooja and Palak for their dances.

Hope you guys had as much fun as I did. I will try to update this blog as I decide to share more information/ feelings about the coming baby, and events surrounding.

Dharmesh Topiwala
Son, Brother, Husband, Father (to be)