The countdown has begun........

Its already 18th of January here in Japan. Just 5 more days before my daughter would turn ONE. We are busy arranging for her birthday party which would be on the 28th. Its not a huge party, just around 15 people, 3 babies and a toddler ;-) And inspite of that, I am busy arranging for it from almost 2 weeks now......... Back home we could have outsourced the entire arrangement and just been there at the hall at the time of the party all decked up to received our guests. But here, we have to hand pick every thing and even do the cooking. Its been fun until now and I hope it all ends well. I am so excited that I cant sleep.................I lie wide awake long after my daughter and my husband are fast asleep, planning. How should I arrange the 250 and odd balloons we bought paying a fortune. What time should I start my cooking on the day. What would be the best way to transport every item to the venue which is at a 10 min walking distance from our home. How am I going to dress up my daughter. How cute she will look on that day in her birthday frock. Will she be the nice baby on the B-day or will she be cranky and irritant. Should I wear my blue saree or the maroon one? Trust me, the thoughts traverse through my mind at jet speed. Now I am thinking this and the next moment I have something else.

Far more than the excitement of the party, is the excitement of the fact that my darling is turning ONE.........and I have come through it. Cant say in flying colours but not very bad after all. There was a time when I thought, I wouldnt go very far with it, that I would have a breakdown sometime soon. The angst and worries of a first time mother hasnt vanished completely yet. They are right here, raising their heads everytime something goes wrong and spoiling my sleep and probably raising my blood pressure too............. but I would still give myself a 5 out of 10 for the year that has gone by.

And while all this is happening with me, my daughter is unaware of any such preparations around her. She is in a different world which consists of her, me and her dad........where the language is her own..........the time as she sets.........the rules that suit her..........the important activities being crawling, walking in faltering steps, pulling, banging and flinging objects, her friends being her teddy bear, her winnie the pooh and the numerous dog toys that she has..................a world which is pure and free of any tricks of the adult world. While on activities, today before hitting her bed, she was busy trying to turn to different directions while walking and it was such joy to watch her. She would walk a few steps, fall but raise herself up even before she falls completely and continue her walking practice. I was wishing she would rest a little for she was panting but she wanted no rest.........it was like she was obssessed about walking at that instant. She spent all her energy trying to walk before she went into deep slumber. That reminds me, I need to get some sleep before she wakes up again...................