Unbelievably fast

It's hard to believe it will soon be spring and even harder to believe that our little man will soon be 15 months. What? When did that happen? 


We've just returned from a wonderful trip to California. Despite Kiran's refusal to sleep on airplanes and his occasional dislike for his port-a-crib, we had a great time with family celebrating our nephew, Tobias' 13th birthday. Talk about fast - our little Tobo is now 13. Crazy. Tobias has been and will continue to be a great marker for how much time has passed - I was only 17 when Tobo was born, and Tobo will be 25 when Kiran turns 13. Weird.  Dad and Mom George commented on how much Kiran changed in just a week - it's true! Here's the latest: 

Kiran is running...and running...and running! My fave part of the running, though, is the downward dog pose he uses to get from the seated to the standing position!


Kiran with his cousin, Isaiah-chacha, who is about to turn 3! Kiran seems to think he has the same vocabulary as Isaiah. Even though Kiran speaks about 15 actual words, he enjoys speaking in his own "language," complete with inflection and different tones of voice! Hilarious.

Thankfully, Kiran adjusted to being back home wonderfully. Since he refused to sleep on the plane, he was in bed by 630 and didn't wake up until 9am! Whoa - seriously tired! He had a wonderful first day back with Mom and Dad, and is happily saying and signing "Appachen!"  

I've been back at work for 2 1/2 months now, and in some ways it feels like I didn't even have a parental leave. I enjoyed every moment - even the challenging ones - with Kiran, but I am also enjoying the normalcy of getting ready for work and engaging in professional conversations. I'm working on the guilt part, though. No one ever prepares you for the guilt you will feel as a parent - guilt for not knowing what to do; guilt for not giving them enough opportunities; guilt for taking time for yourself; guilt for even thinking about taking time for yourself. We treasure each moment we have with Kiran, so now we are working on not feeling guilty about being away from him. I am trying to make myself believe that it's ok and even beneficial to Kiran to spend time away from him. Baby steps.