February 26: Spring is here!

The heat has returned to Delhi seemingly overnight.  We  said goodbye to our space heaters and fleece jackets and quickly had to face getting our ceiling fans checked and summer clothes aired.  Spring is about a week long here and is lovely while it lasts with flowers and trees in vivid bloom.  By mid-March we will be back to sweltering conditions.  I will be especially sad to see these cool mornings and evenings disappear.  My walks with Giovanni in the parks will have to be replaced by strolls in the mall during the midday heat.  I will have to revive my mall-rat days spent at the Millcreek Mall in Erie, PA.  I wonder if there is an Orange Julius in Delhi?!

All is well with Giovanni the Giant.  (Our pediatrician has nicknamed him the "BFG" from the Roald Dahl book about a Big Friendly Giant.  He is quickly approaching his 3 month birthday and 20 pounds- not sure which he will reach first.  He still has a bulging belly, rippling thighs, a double chin and those adorable (to his mom at least!) cheeks.  In short, he is a handsome devil. He is drinking less these days (his choice) so maybe his rapid growth will begin to regulate.  His sleeping and smiling are the biggest changes we saw this past month- both welcome developments!  He sleeps quite regular night hours now- from 7 until about midnight and then another 5 or so hours.  We hope the midnight feeding will fade away in the next few months but it is a fairly easy one to manage since he falls immediately back to sleep once he is finished.

The smiling is wonderful and increasing in frequency and intensity each day.  He greets Paolo, Sebastian, Victoria and me now always with a big grin. Today was the first day I noticed him beaming at Topher.  After nearly 3 months of diligent face-licking and napping beside the crib, sweet Topher deserves this adoration!

We welcomed my parents a few weeks ago and had a whirlwind visit with late night feedings, tours around Delhi and a weekend trip to a tiger preserve.  Though we did not see any of the elusive cats, we saw plenty of deer, antelope, monkeys, peacocks, crocodiles (ick!) and other creatures.  Giovanni was well cuddled by his nonno and nonna who are already eagerly awaiting their next visit with their new grandson.  For now they are recovering back in Dallas from an exhausting trip.  Next to use our guest room will be our matchmaker (and one of Paolo's best "men"!) Judi Cochran who arrives in less than two weeks.

I had 8 friends with their babies over for coffee and Sebastian's cinnamon bread yesterday morning.  It was quite chaotic but fun.  Gio cried for part of it- overwhelmed a bit, especially when he saw his upstairs neighbor (an older gentleman at 6 months!) honing in on Gio's girlfriend Matilda.  I will have to coach him to bring out his innate Italian charm for next week.  This is a group that meets every Wednesday, and I have become quite close with many of them.  All are from the UK but me so I feel quite honored to be included.  

Paolo returns from Calcutta today after 4 days away.  We leave next week for a long weekend in Pondicherry (southern India).  Please send sleepy thoughts to Gio for the plane trips.  These are pratice rides in preparation for our trip to Italy next month!  Love to all, Clara 

2 Months Old...almost!

2 Months Old!

In our garden about to start our morning walk.  The stick is to ward off the many stray dogs we encounter along the way.  Most are gentle but there are a few aggressive ones who don't like Topher walking across their territory.  One wave of the stick sends them running.

Giovanni began smiling this week... in a BIG way.

These shots were taken while on a walk in Lodhi Garden.  

Enjoying some time in my bouncy seat.

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                     

In the park outside of our house: elephants appeared today to help with the tree pruning!

Giovanni will hit his 2 month birthday on Friday, which will also be the first day he spends with his grandparents, Jim & Jerry Zurn ("Nonna" and "Nonno").  Mom and Dad are in Calcutta right now visiting with their good friends the Mukerjis and will fly to Delhi Thursday evening.  You can imagine they are quite excited about their first grandchild and he is gearing up to keep them busy with feeding, burping, changing and cuddling.  I am thinking of taking a week-long nap so they can properly bond with Giovanni!  It will be such fun for us to show Mom and Dad our lives here in Delhi and to introduce them to our extended family of staff and friends.  And the weather seems to be cooperating though the fact that it is already in the low 80s during the day makes me fearful when the real heat arrives in April!

We are settling into our new roles as parents and figuring out how to function on a few hours' sleep each night.  Giovanni is starting to sleep for longer stretches so the dark circles under our eyes may start to fade...or not.  His record is 5 hours which he did three nights in a row.  We are encouraging him to stretch it to 12 hours tonight but I suppose we cannot set the bar quite so high.  Many of you have noticed that our son is a rather hefty fellow.  We think we may have a football player in development.  Paolo's boss has suggested that we not bother investing in his education but instead put all of our energy and savings into his training for the NFL.  I would support this but will only allow him to play for the Steelers!  

Paolo and I in the midst of planning a few adventures with Giovanni in the next few months.  In March we are heading to Pondicherry (South India).  This will be our first plane flight with him! Later in the month we are hoping to go to Italy so that Paolo's family can meet their newest member.  In May we will be joining my sister Molly and her husband Tucker in the Maldives.  I cannot complain about that one!  And finally, we will be heading back to the US for the month of June, so many of you many finally get to meet Giovanni then.

And Topher?  He continues to be a happy and healthy fellow with only a few warts to show any sign of aging.  A few of the neighborhood children and I are busy planning a party for his 8th birthday  (Feb 15th) with a tennis ball cake and plenty of other goodies.  Topher accompanies us on long afternoon walks and has become an expert at walking alongside the stroller without getting tangled in its wheels.  Once Giovanni falls asleep we find a bench in one of our colony's parks so I can sit and throw a ball for Topher while his brother naps.  I am cherishing these walks as soon the heat and mosquitoes will make them far less pleasant.  

That's all for now.  It may be some time before I write again as I think my parents are going to be keeping me busy...plus I have that week-long nap to try to fit in.  A big hug to all.  Clara