Anand and Miru just had their second beautiful baby. So I went to see my brand new nephew Romi and his proud big sister Ananya who is all grown up now and says things like she “has an idea” and is “frustrated”. She even takes care of Curious George by changing his diapers and putting him to sleep next to her brother in his crib.



Come to think of it, the poor baby is having to learn the important lesson of “sharing” right from the beginning. He even has to share his crib with all our brothers. My brother for instance, is this very genderless effeminate doll with blue eyes and blond hair.



I have always found dolls very creepy even though I wouldn't dare admit it to Ananya (she reads them stories even). Can you imagine what a real human might look like if he or she were to have the same disproportionate features and body parts as the cute little dolls we adore? You may argue that cartoons and comics too have disproportionate features. While that is true, it is not quite the same as a two year old kid walking around the house with a sexy doll that has a swivel waist, an extraordinarily large bust and an eerie smile (a.k.a. Barbie! - Ananya's soon to be Best Friend Forever); because there is something very disturbing about kids playing with an adult-like toy! That being said, I can't imagine an adult playing with Barbie either!

Even the dolls that open and close their eyes when you turn them vertically and horizontally are disturbing. And to think that there are baby dolls that cry from time to time when they are hungry, or need to have their diapers changed! Aren't real babies enough? Do we need fake real babies too? Anyway, the important point to remember here is you won’t catch me imagining myself changing Calvin’s diaper in Calvin and Hobbes!



But here is what is incredible. I am looking at Lil’ Romi. This baby was in a stomach just a few days ago. Isn’t that incredible? Now that I see him: eyes, fingers, hands, legs and all, it is hard to imagine him inside a stomach looking just like he does now!

Romi is the quietest baby ever. I haven’t seen him cry in the three days that I was in Boston. He wasn’t awake for more than an hour or two in the day, so the little time that he was awake, his small glittering eyes were staring perplexedly in no particular direction. His expressions are priceless. His face changes in totally unexpected and marvelous ways. He has the softest skin, and a lovely baby smell. I could stare at him all day! I miss him already.



And I cant wait to go back and discuss Dora, Thomas the Train, Caillou, and Clifford the Big Red Dog with my niece, and sing “do re mi” and “when you’re happy and you know it” out of tune.

Ok. Enough of this baby talk. I can see this post making Tapi very nervous :)