Giovanni's Arrival!

Giovanni's first nap with his father and older "brother" Topher.

Asleep at the hospital... practicing some boxing maneuvers on himself.  

Our first outing as a family- a walk in Lodhi Gardens.

As most of you know by now Giovanni arrived in the early morning of December 6th.  Just for fun I went through labor and then "opted" for an emergency c-section as he never descended from up in my ribcage (called an "obstructed labor").  Giovanni emerged perfectly healthy with a full head of hair weighing 8.8 pounds.

I am afraid I do not have the time to write in great detail about all that has happened in the two weeks since our son arrived, nor do you really need/want to hear the details on breastfeeding, pooping, umbilical cords falling off, etc... I will spare you that.  Just know that Paolo and I are finding ways to cope with a very big challenge but even the sleepless nights and long crying bouts cannot dampen our moods when we look at this little creature.  He is, at least in his parents' eyes, a wonderful gift.  

Many have asked how Topher is handling his little brother.  Some even speculated he would be jealous or feel replaced.  As always, Topher rose above expectations and has remained the noble and gentle creature he has always been.  Giovanni's crying lures Topher near so he can attempt to calm him with his tongue (the licking is sweet though he is perplexed why it does not stop the crying!).  Topher is reluctant to leave a room if Giovanni is in it and even sleeps on the side of the bed closest to the bassinet.  

Look soon for more pictures and perhaps even more interesting text. In the meantime, happy holidays to all.  XOXO.  Clara, Paolo, Topher & Giovanni 

Birthday and no baby...yet!

"Happy Birthday, Madam!" From left: Sebastian (cook), Ram (security guard), Johnson (driver), Victoria (Sebastian's wife and our housekeeper) and Paolo (nervous father-to-be) singing to the birthday girl....



We are still waiting for this baby to make his move. So far he seems quite content in his little swimming pool...safe from terrorists, cold weather and mosquitoes (yes, those last two somehow exist at the same time here in India!). Today is my birthday and Paolo and our staff are busy making it a special day for the "roundy" lady on the couch. Flowers are all over the house, a special rice dish is simmering and a chocolate cake is cooling.

At some point we PROMISE to have news for all of you. He cannot stay in there forever, can he?

In the meantime, keep checking back. Thank you for all of the well wishes, especially those of you who were worried about us after the attacks in Mumbai last week. For the geographically challenged (believe me, I understand!), Mumbai is quite far from New Delhi- a two hour flight- but we still were unsettled by the savageness of the attacks and that they were clearly targeting foreigners. We are hoping this will prompt India to take a harder look at its security measures. This is a wonderful country in many ways and is certainly resilient. Take a look at Jon Stewart's Daily Show for a funny (yes, believe it or not, it is!) take on the attacks. Here is the link:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=210920&title=Mumbai-Tragedy

Warning: This is not for children's ears!




Off to eat cake.... Hugs to all. Clara

Still Waiting....

We are one day past the due date.... Nothing happening so far.  Paolo thinks our son has decided to stay in his warm cocoon in light of the global financial crisis and terror attacks in Mumbai.  Smart move, I say.  While we wait we are trying to prepare Topher for the arrival of his new brother.  Hope to have news for all of you soon!