Day 122

Some pictures from fourth month of Vedika i.e. Vidhi...

You are fired!

No other act has seen use of so many euphemism as corporate action of firing employee off. In quest to be as sweet as possible while doing the exact opposite, corporate HR should probably won some kind prize for coming up so many ways to not say what they want to. Not that I believe companies shouldn’t fire people, but it will be worth a bit honesty and ethics to not rub salt on it. Of course, honesty and ethics are kinds of things you wouldn’t associate with any big company anyway.

In the sprit of doublespeak, then, here is collection of what ‘you are fired’ may sound like:

assignment ended
assignment expired
best shoring
bought out
bounced out
career change opportunity
career transition
cashiered
contract not renewed
contracted out
decruitment
discharged
dismissed
down size
early retired
eased out
end of trial period
freed up for the future
going in different directions
headcount adjustment
headcount reduction
helped with exit
invited to be successful elsewhere
involuntary separation
laid off
let go
made available to industry
made redundant
make internal efficiencies
managed out
off shoring
optimized
outplaced
outsourced
personnel realignment
personnel surplus reduction
position has been eliminated
promoted to customer (retail workers)
pursue other opportunities
rationalize the workforce
reclined to extend
reduced headcount
reduction in force
re-engineered
regime change
released
released from the talent pool
relieved of duties
reorganized
re-prioritizing labor expenses
resource action
responsibilities have been reassigned
right size
separated
services no longer required
skill mix adjustment
smart size
stepped down
taking it for the team
terminated
unassigned
we really feel like we’re holding you back here
workforce efficiency initiative

Day 120

Vidhi has been in Bangalore for about two weeks now. She is developing into beautiful and smart infant and is absolutely adorable when not crying. Her fits of crying occur randomly throughout the day but are more prominent before her bed time between 9-10pm.



By now, her mom and I have developed a reflex kind of reactions to her tantrums. If you are watching her before she starts crying, you can see it coming about 5 seconds before as her mouth takes the position most conducive to high decibel noise generation. From sound of her crying, we can immediately decipher whether it is ‘come to me and pay attention to me’ call or ‘i am hungry or you can never guess what happened to me’ call. If it’s former, naturally, resolution is swifter. Just by coming into focus of her vision and making some soothing sounds, she will calm and start playing. If it’s later then, we go through a series of motions in trying to ascertain any reason for her distress.



Firstly, we’d check her nappy and make sure it’s dry. Next, we’d sooth talk her and caress her. Singing, clapping and other attention grabbing follows. Lifting her on arms and rocking her gently comes next. Her favourite songs* will be played then. Her mother will attempt to feed her. If by now, she hasn’t stopped, and about 15 minutes would have passed, we’d get bit worried and prepare ourselves for long haul. A quick search of her clothings will ensure that there isn’t any insect biting her. At this point, our order of motion will become bit random. Talking, sooth talking, singing, playing music, shouting at her, putting her on bed or rocking in arms will happen in random order. She will be passed among her mother, father and chachu. At the end of one hour, at worst case, she will typically calm down or fall to sleep. In such extreme cases only her mom remains the hope for any respite.



*Her mom claims that "ek ladki of dekha" is her favourite though I don't see any clear indication.

Day 118

Vidhi manages to suck her thumb — of her feet! (we didn’t manage to catch that moment though)

Day 113

Today was Vidhi’s fourth dose of vaccination: DPT and Polio. We found out a cheap nearby hospital since we just wanted someone to give her injections and didn’t need expert pediatric advise. Baby was nice as she can be and cried only a little when needles were inserted. Her measurements:

Weight: 5.2kg
Length: 59cm
Circumference of head: 39cm



According to this chart, she should be 6.4kg 62cm. Her doctors say expected weight is 5.5kg. Apparently there is different scale for Indian babies and American/developed nation's babies.

Day 111

Vidhi has been in Bangalore for about three days today. Her night time interruptions are at 4am and 6am. When she is not crying, she listens to songs on her mummy's mobile (particularly, Rooth Na Jaana Tum Se Kahoon To) or looks around. Few times in a day, she manages small chuckle or smile. One of her way to keep peace with herself is to suck her fingers.

Today, she had first outing on her pram and was taken around our apartment.

Day 106

Vidhi is on the way to her home for the first time! She started out from Shimla yesterday night, reached Delhi today early morning and left for Bhopal. After a overnight break at her Nana-Nani's house, she will start for Bangalore on Sunday and reach here by Monday.

Day 87

This post is about trip down the (near short) memory lane and recounts announcement of Vedika’s birth to the world.

This is SMS I sent to my friends:

India’s population++. Gender ratio infinitesimally improved. Plainspeak: It’s a girl :)

I had planned for sending at least somewhat different announcement rather than just simple ‘It’s a girl. Mother and daughter a doing fine.’ My geeky nature came up with above words couple of weeks before her birth and I had typed the SMS (with possibility of both boy and girl) the moment my wife went in labour. That I wasn’t with her, of course, gave me time to do such thing. Instance I came to know, I sent it to all.

Below are snapshots of reactions of our friends and families on her first announcement on Facebook which happened within 15-30 days of her birth.

• Chachu's announcement
• Papa's announcement
• Mummy's announcement

Day 82

Today, Vedika got her third dose of vaccination. She is acting little irritable whole day and is taking paracetamol every eight hours to avoid onset of fever. Apart from bit unrest, she seems fine.

Vedika - Day 78

Baby gets new gears!

(alright, these images are taken from web, but they show exactly how the stuff looks like, except that the carrier is in light blue colour)

Oh, I might add, these are her gifts from her Chachu & Kaku! Will upload with Vidhi in actual stuff soon.

Also to clarify those who bother, I am not buying pink stuff just because she is she. Maybe a pink bow...