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Weekend Rehash – Family Time

written by Parita 3 Comments

What an awesome weekend! Like I mentioned in Friday’s post, Niel and Neelam, my BIL and his girlfriend, visited, and we had a blast.

Let’s start from the beginning…

FRIDAY

Friday started off with the usual routine – drop K off at school, work out, Trader Joe’s run.

But then for 1.5 hours, I deviated from the norm and met up a blog reader and new friend, Mira. We met up for a coffee and probably could’ve chatted for another hour. We talked about everything from new motherhood to mom guilt to making mom friends to everything in between. It was such a refreshing meet-up because we were on the same wave length about so much. I’m so happy we made the time to meet. Here’s to next time and more authentic friendships.

I spent the rest of my afternoon cleaning and prepping dinner (lasagna!). Vishnu got home a little earlier than normal, so we hung out before it was time to get Kaiden and before N&N arrived.

The rest of the evening was spent eating, playing, and talking. Even I went to bed a lot later than usual!

SATURDAY

Saturday morning started with made from scratch pancakes (sharing the recipe soon).

We then got ready and headed to the post office to submit an application for K’s passport. He’s doing some international travel later this year!

After finishing up there, we got some coffee, walked around the River Walk, and then headed to Sienna Tavern for brunch (so yum!).

Kaiden fell asleep on the walk home for like five minutes which obviously means he didn’t have to nap at all the rest of the day. Grrrr…

It all worked out because we rented a boat for the afternoon with Niel, Neelam, my sister and my BIL, so while K was tired, he still rallied. If you’re ever in Chicago, I highly recommend renting a pontoon boat and heading out on the river. And guess who captained our boat?! ME! My sister took over towards the end because my back hurt, but it was a ton of fun!

We planned on playing some games after K went to bed, but our Door Dash order never showed after 1.5 hours, so the evening went a little south in terms of that. Still a fun day overall!

SUNDAY

Vishnu and N&N took Kaiden to the park in the morning so I could clean, cook, and have some alone time.

Luckily, Kaiden took a 2.5 hour nap which means the rest of us did as well. This mama was tired!

We then scratched our afternoon plans to visit the beach and headed out to get some gelato instead. Perfect idea on a hot Chicago day!

And now we start a new week with new adventures! Happy Monday, y’all.

Written on August 5, 2019 Related:Chicago, Family, Weekend

Weekend Rehash – When the Grandparents Come to Visit

written by Parita 1 Comment

This was a good weekend! My parents were in town and that made everyone happy. Especially Mr. Kaiden!

FRIDAY

Friday started off on the usual note, except for one thing. It was K’s first full day in the young 2 classroom. He was super quiet at drop off, but he didn’t cry, so I’ll take that as a win. Our guess is that he warms up throughout the day because the pictures we received in the afternoon showed a very smiley, happy boy!

I then spent the rest of my morning/early afternoon running errands, prepping some food, going to the gym, and then heading to my sister’s place. My parents stayed with her and Adarsh (my BIL) this weekend because they came to celebrate her residency graduation. My sissy’s going to be an attending…yahoo!

I decided to make a haircut appointment while I was there since the hair salon I go to is right across the street from my sister’s place. Well…if you guys follow me on Instagram, you know that it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. She cut it a lot shorter than we discussed, AND on top of that, she took off way too much volume all around (I told her to stick to the back). Ay, ay, ay! At least hair grows back!

We hung out for a bit before heading back to pick up Kaiden from school. You guys! You should’ve seen him when he saw my parents. He ran straight to my mom. CUTEST THING EVER!

After some park time, we came home, ate dinner (a Gujarati feast by my mama), and hung out for a bit before calling it a night.

SATURDAY

Kaiden and I headed to my sister’s place around 9 am. GOOD MORNING, FAM!

After a walk to and around the Green City Farmer’s Market, where we enjoyed a blueberry smoothie and some delicious grilled cheeses, we headed to the zoo where we saw zebras and gorillas before calling it a day (it was getting close to nap time!).

We all napped for about 2 hours while K napped. Best decision ever! I can’t wait to live closer to my parents!

In the late afternoon, we hung out at home and made falafels for dinner. Well, my sister made falafels and I assisted! They were so good!

Vishnu actually finished at a decent time so he was able to join us for dinner! Also, you guys, we had Trader Joe’s Bon Bons for dessert, and they are AMAZING (#2 on the list)!

SUNDAY

Sunday looked a lot like Saturday in that we spent it at my sister’s place again. Except this time, I napped…A LOT! I don’t know why, but I woke up super tired and just needed a little (lot) rest.

We decided to stay in, enjoy each other’s company and eate more of my mom’s delicious food!

After saying bye to everyone at 4:30 ish, Kaiden and I headed home. We played and ate and played some more before I put him to bed.

Once Vishnu got home, he ate and suggested we watch a movie. He wanted to unwind! At first, I was hesitant and then said ‘what the heck!’ We watched Always Be My Maybe. It was super cute and funny, but not something I’d watch over and over again. I did, however, really appreciate the diverse cast. More of that please!

And that was our weekend in a really long nutshell! Thanks for indulging me with these posts! The future me will love reading about this weekend, so it’s important to present me to document even the mundane details. Kaiden will only be so little for so long!

Have a great week!

Written on June 11, 2019 Related:Family, Uncategorized, Weekend

Weekend Rehash – Lots of Park Time

written by Parita 1 Comment

Another weekend in the books! This one was productive and fun…and very tiring with lots of time spent at the park!

Let’s get to it…

FRIDAY

After dropping Kaiden off at school, I went to my second to last Soul Cycle class. It was a tough one with lots of resistance.

I then went home, got ready, and headed to Trader Joe’s and Target. I know it probably sounds kinda boring to revisit the same places every Friday, but I love the consistency. It’s actually fun for me.

After all that, I came home, put on some makeup, and did a fun IG collab thing. I’ll share when it’s live!

I then made my way to the kitchen and prepped a few things – a gnocchi bake, an Instant Pot chana saag, and some white bean muffins turned into bars (SOOO GOOD!).

The rest of the afternoon/early evening was filled with random to-dos and after-school fun with K…at the park of course.

After Kaiden went to bed, Vishnu and I settled in to watch the Big Bang Theory finale. OMG. I cried like a baby! Personally, I loved how they ended the show. It was so heart-warming and perfect!

SATURDAY

I needed to make a Costco fun for gas and a few other things. I didn’t get to that on Friday, so I decided to take a little field trip with Kaiden. Here’s the thing about my guy. He loves being out and about. He’s an observer and is always so happy and calm when we’re shopping, so it’s actually fun for us.

After coming home to put on some sunscreen, we headed to the park. You guys, it was sweltering out. I was a sweaty beast by the end of it all. And to paint a quick picture of how wonky this weather is, imagine this…I had to wear my 30-40 degree jacket on Friday.

So you would think after all that activity Kaiden would want to take a nice long nap, right? NOPE! He fought every attempt, until I finally just laid in bed with him. Not his crib. The twin we have in his room.

If there are any mamas out there with good nap time strategies, please share them with me!!! Kaiden is a good nighttime sleeper, but he fights naps like crazy (he’s fine at daycare).

After nap time, we headed to my sister’s place to hang out and eat dinner. Her in laws were in town and made pav bhaji for all of us. I can’t say no to an Indian mom’s home cooked meals!

SUNDAY

Sunday was half marathon day for my sister and BIL, so we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed out to watch them finish.

A couple of notes – my umbrella, which Vishnu claimed is hurricane proof, definitely isn’t. It started raining on our walk to the park, so I took out my umbrella only to have it flip inside out a few times. Thank goodness it stopped raining!

Anyways, we missed my BIL and friend Mehul cross the finish line but got to see my sister! So fun being the cheering squad, although it definitely got me thinking about possibly running a half some time soon (ish!).

Kaiden and I walked home (rain free!), made pit stop at the park, and then headed back home for lunch and nap time. I don’t know if it’s because he was more tired than he was on Saturday or because Vishnu put him to sleep, but he definitely napped in his crib without too much fuss. Maybe I’m the problem!?

ANNNNDDDDD…the rest of our day was spent inside because of the rain. Until we went to the park again at 4 pm. HAHA! I can’t wait until summer finally decides to consistently show up!

That’s our weekend in a [long] nutshell! More details than you probably wanted to know, but the more I think about sharing these kinds of post, the more I want to capture the little details of K’s childhood. He’s only this little once!

I hope you guys had a great weekend! Here’s to conquering a new week. 🙂

Written on May 20, 2019 Related:Uncategorized, Weekend

Baby playing cornhole

Our Trip to Vail, Colorado – All That It Was and Wasn’t + Lessons

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I can’t even believe it!  The trip we’d been looking forward to and planning for months is behind us.

Vishnu’s cousin got married in Vail, Colorado this past week, and instead of just going for the wedding, we (V, K, me, my MIL, FIL, and BIL) decided to add a couple of days to the front end and make a mini vacay out of it.

Baby playing cornhole

All good in theory!  But something I didn’t consider is how unpredictable something like travel can be with a 13 month old.  I’ll get to that in a minute.

Because I really do believe in focusing on the positive, let’s look at what everything our trip was…

More than anything, this time away in Vail allowed for some real family time.  My MIL didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, we didn’t have to worry about cleaning, etc.  I absolutely loved the quality family time we got.  My favorite moments were sitting around the dining room table chatting about random stuff and laughing…a lot!

The trip also allowed for us (me, V, and my BIL) to experience and see Vail via a “moderate” hike.  While the terrain wasn’t hard to navigate, the elevation factor definitely made us more tired than we anticipated.  Holy headaches!

Shrine Ridge Hike Vail

Vishnu’s extended family is amazing and so much fun.  Even though our time with them was limited, it was great seeing everyone and catching up when possible!  It was also super fun to see Kaiden interact with everyone.  With the exception of a few people, he was meeting everyone for the first time.  One of V’s uncles mentioned making this a yearly thing (a reunion not a wedding!), so Vishnu’s taking it into his own hands to make it happen.  I hope he succeeds because so much love for this family!

And last but certainly not least, the wedding!  It was all so beautiful.  Vishnu’s cousin Tara and her new hubby radiated pure joy.  There’s something about witnessing two people who are meant to be take the next step in life!  Speaking of the next step, Vishnu gave an awesome speech at the reception about just that.  Instead of going down the usual route of telling stories, etc., he shared 10 pieces of advice about marriage and married life.  While I didn’t get to see him deliver it in person (I stayed home with K instead of going to the reception), I heard it was awesome and one of the best speeches of the night!

Bride at welcome dinner

Vail Indian wedding bride and groom

In terms of what this trip wasn’t…it wasn’t relaxing!  Not that I was expecting much relaxation with K being the most active he’s ever been.  However, by the time Wednesday rolled around, K had a fever.  And it didn’t go away.  To make a long story short, K ended up experiencing his first ER visit (more precautionary because of a high temperature).

In the spirit of focusing on the positive, I don’t want to fixate on what didn’t go as expected.  Instead, I want to focus on what I learned from our time in Vail.  For one, I love my family.  Obviously, this isn’t a new feeling, but man did I marry into a great family!  Everyone was all hands in with K and ready to give me a break whenever possible.  And beyond that, I love seeing K bond with his grandparents and uncle.  So many special memories! On a more philosophical level, I learned that in this season of life (maybe all seasons…?) I really just have to go with the flow and take it one moment at a time.  If I look at our time in Vail overall, it’s hard to see all the fun we had, but when I break it down day by day, moment by moment, I see nothing but fun.  Perspective is everything.  And finally, once again, I learned a lesson about gratitude.  The grateful life is the best life because regardless of what’s going on when you focus on all the good in your life (and there’s always something) you’ll always be grounded in what truly matters.

Mom and baby at wedding

And now we’re back home and slowly moving into our regular rhythm and flow.  Here’s to a healthy and happy week ahead (longer if possible)!

Written on August 14, 2018 Related:Family, Travel, Uncategorized

Christmas 2017 baby boy

Baby’s First Christmas

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Baby’s first Christmas was super fun…and a little scary!

This was a special trip for many reasons – Kaiden’s first visit to Atlanta, his first Christmas, etc.  The only missing piece was Vishnu. 🙁  But we made sure to FaceTime as much as possible so Kaiden didn’t ‘forget his daddy.’

Christmas 2017 baby boy

As far as celebrating Christmas goes, we don’t do so in a religious sense, but culturally, we are all in!  I’m sure Kaiden was a little confused by all of his boisterous and giddy family members opening presents and yelling over one another!

Because my sister and Adarsh flew out on Monday, we decided to celebrate the holiday a day early on Christmas Eve.  My MIL and BIL drove over to my parents’ house in the early afternoon and spent the day with my parents, my sister and BIL, Kaiden, and me.  My FIL ended up having bronchitis and was unable to join us.  A TOTAL and COMPLETE bummer.

We started the fun by opening presents.  My BIL was our designated Santa, and at first we went person by person, gift by gift, but then we had to restrategize because K looked sleepy.  We handed out everyone’s presents and opened them all at once to save time.  To ensure we included EVERYONE, we FaceTimed my FIL and Vishnu.  Chaotic and fun all at once!

Christmas 2017 tree with presents

For dinner, I made Green and Panang Curry.  Totally forgot to snap a picture, but they both turned out great (in my humble opinion…ha!).  We ended the meal with my MIL’s banana, pecan, chocolate pie.  Yum!

And this is where things got a little scary…

As part of our plan to transition K to formula, we’re essentially phasing out my breast milk and adding in formula until he’s 100% on formula.  Well, Christmas Eve just so happened to be the day he had his first bottle of formula, and let’s just say it didn’t agree with him.  When Kaiden woke up around midnight, I went in to check on him.  After changing his diaper, I lifted him up, and he immediately threw up a ton of milk.  My sister, who was in the room with me, called out to my mom, and the three of us ran Kaiden to the bathroom.  After giving him a quick bath, we got him ready for bed when he threw up a ton of milk again.  After another bath, we tried to put him back down, but he still looked sick, so I held him while my sister kept an eye on him.  Thank goodness because he threw up one final time (but a much smaller amount this time around).  I called the pediatrician, more so for my own peace of mind, and his recommendation of easing into the formula wasn’t much different from my sister’s (a pediatric resident).

Kaiden finally fell asleep (and stayed asleep) around 2 am.  My sister slept in the room with us just in case something happened.  Thankfully nothing did.

I have never been so scared in my entire life!  I know this is just the start of experiences like this one, but man…I will never forget the sight of all that milk pouring out of his mouth.

Kaiden’s doing great (fingers crossed!) now that we’re gradually phasing in the formula two ounces at a time.

As for me, my plan to wean off the pump is on hold for now…anything for my baby boy.  I’ll ease back into that when we’re in Chicago next week.

Other than that, I’m battling a pretty intense cold right now – sore throat and all.  Also, Kaiden and I are staying at Vishnu’s parents until Sunday (when my MIL, Kaiden, and I fly back to Chicago) and are looking forward to spending quality time with this side of the fam!

Well, from my family to yours, I hope each and every one of you enjoyed a fun and memorable Christmas holiday!

Written on December 26, 2017 Related:Baby, Family, Holiday, Uncategorized

My boys

Grandparents Week

written by Parita 1 Comment

Friday kicked off ‘grandparents week’ for Kaiden.  Vishnu’s parents visited us this weekend (they left yesterday), and my dad flies in on Tuesday for a few days.

Before I share more about our weekend, I have to say there’s nothing like grandparent love.  I speak from experience, as I’m very close to my grandparents and have been ever since I was a little girl.  Seeing Kaiden start on that same journey with all four of his grandparents is pretty amazing. And it’s even more amazing to see the joy and love in their eyes when they’re with him whether it’s during face-to-face interactions or FaceTime (gotta love technology!).

Oh babies and all the feels they bring out!  Or as Vishnu’s dad likes to say, “These are the most precious moments of my life.”

On to our weekend.  Overall, it was pretty low key.  Vishnu’s parents didn’t arrive until almost midnight on Friday, and Kaiden was asleep at that time. Saturday started with some hungry cries, lots of milk, and Kaiden snuggles all around…well as much as he would allow!

Once we were ready to take on the day, we walked to the Shivalaya temple and then over to the Chicago Riverwalk.  On our way to lunch, we realized Kaiden had a super dirty diaper, so the five us looked at each other and made the executive decision to change him in a somewhat discreet part of Wacker Drive (on a busy day!).  Parenthood…the forever adventure!

My boys

Family pic

Later in the evening, Vishnu’s parents treated us to dinner at Mercadito.  It was nice to catch-up with them sans any disruptions, especially because our only conversations with them these days involve Facetime and Kaiden…no more Par and Vishnu!  Although, halfway through the meal, I told Vishnu I missed Kaiden.

And just like that…actually, not just like that…Saturday night felt like it went on forever…ha!  Anyways, ‘just like that’ it was Sunday morning and time for my in-laws to head back to Atlanta.  I really think Kaiden felt the lack of energy (my mom went to her friend’s house for a prayer event) because he seemed a little off. It’ll be interesting to see how he does when my mom leaves.  You still have your mama and daddy, little guy!

Until then…we look forward to dadu’s (my dad) arrival! 🙂

Written on August 14, 2017 Related:Family, Uncategorized

Kapalua Villas - Maui

Hawaii 2016 – Maui

written by Parita 7 Comments

Maui was the first (of two) stops on our Hawaiian adventure.  As you all know, this was a family vacation with Vishnu’s parents.  His brother and his brother’s girlfriend were also supposed to join us, but unfortunately, they had a change of plans.  When originally deciding which islands we would visit, the six of us came together after talking to family/friends and consulting different sites,  and we picked Maui and Kauai.  If we had a little more time (and money!), I would’ve loved to spend a couple of days on Big Island as well.  Next time for sure!

Overall, Maui is a beautiful island with so many different aspects to it.  As Vishnu would say, “the juxtaposition of the water and the mountains is beautiful.”  Personally, as much as I loved Maui, I found it to be pretty commercial.  At times, it felt like we were in Southern California…not that I complained or anything!

In true Parita fashion, I’m going to share where we stayed, what we did, and what we ate.  And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Note – Vishnu and I are behind in life and haven’t downloaded the pictures on our SLR yet.  What you see in this post are pics from my iPhone!  I didn’t want to delay this post any further, so for now, this is what you get!

WHERE WE STAYED

Because six of us were originally going on this trip, we opted for villas/condos instead of hotels.  When we found out Niel and Neelam couldn’t joint us, we thought about switching but decided to stick with the original plan.

We stayed at the Kapalua Villas while in Maui.   Our two bedroom/2.5 bathroom condo could’ve easily housed six people.  Honestly, we had a lot more space than we needed, but it was nice.

Kapalua Villas - Maui

The villa itself was beautiful.  It felt like home with comfortably beds, a washer/dryer, spacious bathrooms, etc.  The only regret when it came to this villa was the location.  Everything we did in Maui was centrally located, but we stayed on the northwestern side of the island.  It took us at least 30-40 minutes to get to and from.  However, other than that, I would highly recommend the Kapalua Villas!

WHAT WE DID

Snorkling by the Molokini Crater 

Our first excursion on the island of Maui was snorkling by the Molokini Crater with Sail Trilogy.  The boat ride to the crater took almost an hour, and what a bumpy/choppy hour that was.  Over 70% of the people on our boat ended up sick.  Thankfully, Vishnu and I were both spared!

Once at the crater, our captain conducted a mini snorkling orientation for the group, and then we were off!  Even though it was a bit overcast, we were still able to see lots of different fishes and sea creatures, as well as coral.  Vishnu loved this more than I did.  In fact, he was the last one back on the boat when it was time to return to shore.  My little fish!

Road to Hana

In my opinion, the Road to Hana is a must when visiting Maui.  But word to the wise – this is an all day adventure.  We left home at 6:45 am and returned around 7:00 pm.

The Road to Hana in its entirety is about 64 miles.  It starts in a town called Paia, and it ends…well, it ends where you want it to given how much time you have and how everyone is feeling.  The road itself is quite windy and dangerous (especially at night).  Luckily for us, it wasn’t too crowded, so we (Vishnu) were able to navigate it comfortably.

Vishnu and I would HIGHLY recommend using the Shaka app as you explore the Road to Hana.  We loved learning about Hawaiian history, and let’s be honest, this thing prevented us from missing most of the major sites!  We even explored some ‘off the beaten path’ type places because of it.  It was the best $5 we spent on the trip!

Overall, we probably made about 12-15 stops along the way.  My favorites included Ho’okipa lookout (great wave action!), Honomanu Bay, Upper Waikani Falls, and Wai’anapanapa State Park (black sand beaches!).

Road to Hana - Maui

Road to Hana - Maui

Of course, we got pretty hungry on this 12 hour journey.  I read a lot about the smoothies at Huelo Lookout, so that was on my must stop list!  My FIL’s smoothie was awesome…I think it was called the Haleakala Sunrise.  Regardless, it was yummy!  We also stopped for some fresh baked banana bread at Aunt Sandy’s.  It honestly tasted like it came straight out of the oven – dense, flavorful, and warm.  And finally, for lunch, we stopped at the Nahiku Marketplace and enjoyed some delicious Thai food (Pad Thai for me!) from a stall labeled THAI FOOD!  Again, so fresh and tasty.

Road to Hana - Thai food

Haleakala National Park Sunset

Haleakala National Park is home to the dormant volcano Haleakala.  People usually make the hour or so drive up the volcano to see the beautiful/colorful sunrise and/or sunset views.  Because we had so many early mornings, we opted for the sunset views and were not disappointed in the least.  Word to the wise – bring a warm jacket to take with you because it’s at least 30 degrees cooler at the top than it is at sea level.  Brrrr…

Haleakala - Maui

Haleakala - Maui

WHAT WE ATE

In addition to the delicious food we ate on the Road to Hana, we also hit up some pretty fantastic restaurants during our time in Maui.

Monsoon India – We ate here with Vishnu’s aunt and uncle one night after driving around the island for a bit.  For an Indian restaurant in Maui, it was pretty decent!  The dishes we ordered were rich in flavor.  However, while this place was great, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat here.  There are plenty of other more Hawaii’esque’ restaurants to choose from.

Mama’s Fish House – Mama’s Fish House is a treat yo self kind of restaurant as it quite pricey.  If you’re willing to dish out a bit of $$$, this place serves delicious fish dishes (hence the name!) and quite the vegetarian meal as well.  Vishnu and my in laws loved their ahi, mahi mahi and sea bass, while I really enjoyed a Maui Tempeh coconut curry dish.  But perhaps the highlight of our meal was the chocolate pie we gobbled up at the end (it was like a Twix bar being combined with Oreos!).

Mama's Fish House - veggie curry dish - Maui

Frida’s Mexican Beach House – Personally, I was super excited about Frida’s, as Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines.  And I wasn’t disappointed.  The veggie enchiladas I ordered were really good (although I wish they were smothered with cheese and not covered!).  Overall, I think Frida’s is a must visit restaurant – not only is the food plentiful and delicious, but the relaxed atmosphere and fun servers make the dining experience that much better.

Frida's Beach House - Maui - Vegetarian Enchiladas

Slappy Cakes – Brunch at Slappy Cakes wasn’t all that exciting, but it did the trick.  The savory dishes are good but not great.  However, the pineapple banana pancakes we ordered to share tasted delicious (can’t wait to recreate at home).

And that, my friends, is our trip to Maui in a nutshell!  Up next…Kauai (my favorite island!).

Happy Wednesday!

Written on January 11, 2017 Related:Travel, Uncategorized

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