Almost a year has passed since my last blog post, so I
thought an update was needed. There’s been good reason for my absence...we’ve
been busy welcoming our first baby into the world. Ananya arrived
in November 2013 and is currently a curious 4-month-old and a joy to be with.
But enough about her...what have we been up to? Well,
Richard and I enjoyed a belated honeymoon in Maui in April 2013. Maui was and
is a wondrous place, filled with amazing beauty and stunning dramatic
landscapes. I can't think of anywhere else on earth that can boast a volcano, windy scenic roads with black sand beaches and tropical waterfalls at nearly every turn. With
the flight only 6 hours from LA, we had to go. The only problem is we now want
to go back and explore the other islands of Hawaii.
The summer of 2013 passed with a sultry ease. Being pregnant
can seem like a long time but when you factor in doctors’ appointments, gathering
everything you need and trying to mentally prepare for this momentous event, it
flies by. Before you know it you’re counting down the days and regretting the
spicy chick-pea curry you’re convinced brought on labour.
Yes, I spell it l-a-b-o-u-r. I’m sorry but I’m only getting
to grips with calling a nappy a “diaper” and a cot a “crib.” I also take Ananya
out in the buggy, but it’s a stroller here. LA is certainly not short
of its yummy “mommy” brigade and I’ve been fortunate to meet some lovely fellow first-time-moms to share this experience with.
As I was home a lot, increasing in size and
decreasing in mobility, I decided to take some creative writing courses online
during the summer with the
Gotham Writers' Workshop. I really enjoyed them and came
away with a few short stories under my belt. I may share them on the blog sometime if I'm brave enough! And if anyone's actually reading...
Since Ananya’s arrival in November life has turned on its head. For
those who know me and know about my love of routine, I’ve
begun to adapt to a life where things don’t always follow a schedule. I think
it was about time really...Embarking on parenthood with Richard has been the best thing
we’ve ever done, and doing it out here has been a great experience. Getting
used to Ananya’s dual citizenship will take longer. To remedy that we’re making
sure she’s exposed to as many episodes of Eastenders and Rab C Nesbitt as possible...
We’ve also had to deal with the ever-present earthquake
threat in California. There have been a few this past month which have made the
news and woken us from sleep and rattled the apartment. It’s a very strange and
helpless feeling, experiencing a ‘quake, and the sound of it is unmistakable. A
low, groan and rumble that you can’t predict. If anything it’s keeping us on
our toes.
Until the next post, bye for now.
Just to put things into context, Kauai was used to double up for Isla Nublar in the first Jurassic Park movie, as well as the location for the opening scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
