Not a minute to spare

Note from the author : A recap of 2020 would be pointless. Our year in south east Michigan was a wash due to the pandemic and the innate inability of the Americans to be unselfish. But our baby turned one this year! He continued to be the center of our lives. Especially as we pulled him out of the day care and cared for him while my wife and I continued our full time jobs. 

Days became weeks and weeks became months. When months became 2020, I wondered where the minutes went. Here is an attempt to show you how our time passed as new parents.  I transcribed the recorded audio (almost verbatim) on a late afternoon on December 27th 2020 into a screen play. 

Enter, stage right.      

Dad is in the nursery, changing the baby’s diaper on the changing station. Baby has just woken up from a nap. Dad is signing an old Marathi song to the baby that seems to keep him calm. 

Baba (Dad) : You walk is a flutter. Your hair flounders in the wind. One of the strands covers your left eye. In the setting sun. In the garden of flowers, a snake wiggles. There is no one watching us, why don’t you smile? Why don’t you just say something to me and break that vow of silence? As you walk away, you look behind. And in that looking, you stumble. In the setting sun, in the garden of flowers, a snake wiggles!

The singing stops. Dad switches to a dialog with the baby and starts kissing baby’s feet and blowing air into baby’s belly button.

Baba: How have you become so cutie? I cannot understand. I do not know. How you have become so cutie? (repeat 2x)

Baby : hehe (when air blown on the belly button!)

Baba: What will you eat baby? Will you have some banani? So tasty!

Dad has changed the diaper, and now carried the baby into the kitchen, opening and closing the baby-gate behind him and now secures the baby on his high chair. Mom is sitting in the living room adjoining the kitchen. There is a look through window between the kitchen and living area. 

Mama (Mom) : It is not feasible to live in XYZ!

Baba: Ok. 

Baba: Come baby. 

Mama : And I looked up the apple website to buy the iPhone XX and they will only sell it if I get the apple card. 

Baba : Really? What a gip! I mean, I guess you could get the apple card. 

Mama: For what reason!

Baba: Baby, let’s have some healthy stuff. Let us have some Bananoo. Bananoo!

Baby : Huh, huh!

Baba : How much is it by the way? On the website 

Mama : its about 30$ per month ..

The baby is on the high chair with his tray set up. Dad sets up his toys which include rubber rattles that stick to the surface and can be wiggled and a round magnetic ball that is used to scrub on his baby magnetic board. 

Baba : Come Baby, it’s ready! I am getting so good at this mashing business. Mash-u Mash-u Baby! (2x) Roly poly, roly poly. And guess what I found? Tada! Tada! Tada! What is that? It is scribble scribble! Tastu?

Mama : A new house has come in the market. It is really pretty. It is in a good location and it is $XX. 

Baba : Hmm.. Hmm. 

Mama : It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms…

Baba : Hmm.. how many garages?

Dad has started feeding the baby with the spoon. Baby is distracted with the toys and starts opening his mouth. 

Baba : I thought we said four bedrooms..

Mama : We will need to be creative. We cant have it all. 

Baba : I guess I need a study. We cant have a dedicated guest bedroom and a study I guess?

Mama : Yes. 

Baba: Does the master have an attached bath? Don’t we need more space?

Mama : You haven’t even seen the house and you already complaining. 

Baba : ok ok. Does it have a nice living area?

Mama : Yes!

Baba : and 23rd street sounds downtown!

Baba : do you like it baby?

Baby has gulped down a whole banana. Dad starts to make additional food for the baby. Baby refuses now and starts throwing his toys. 

Baba : He is not eating. 

Mama : Ok get him out

Baba : What shall we do about the milk? Shall we try the sippy cup?

Mama : Yes, and what your mom and my mom said is that we can use a spoon to feed him. 

Baba : we have tried it, it did not work in the past.

Baby has been transported to the living room by Mom. Baba is preparing the milk (warming it up) Parents are trying to transition the baby from the bottle to the cup. So there is anticipation in the air. Dad sits next to the baby and kisses his head while the milk warms up. 

Mama : Babba, can you give cochi coo to papa?  

Dad leans in 

Mama : let him do it. Coochi cooo.. coooochi cooo.. yeah so cutie pie!

Dad spins a stacking cup for extra entertainment. 

Mama : where is the fox raja babu? 

Baby : hu hu

Dad looks at the laptop that mom was using to look up houses

Baba : The kitchen is small. There is no island. 

Mama : It looks ok.

Baba : Oh yeah, it is the cheap area. It is outside the highway loop. That is where the prices fall. 

Mama : It is ok we don’t need to buy the house now. 

Baba: Do you want to look at this, baby? 

Draws the baby close to the laptop. He promptly slams the keyboard and closes the lid!

Baba: ok, ok Baby, go find the scribble!

Dad pulls the baby away from the computer. Proceeds to the kitchen to get a new bottle to try the transition. Returns to living room and find the baby gnawing on mom’s phone. 

Baba: Oh that is why you are so quiet! Its is not for eating! It is not for wearing! It is for calling people!

Dad keeps the baby on his lap and brings the bottle closer to his lips. But the baby instantly realizes a different nipple and resist with strong squirm away from the dad’s body. Crying as if he is not happy and not wanting to even taste the milk. Baba puts him down on the floor. 

They try an open container. Like a regular cup. 

Mama : baby would you like to try this baby? Mamma kissu! Who wants dudu (milk) baba? Common raja baby. 

Baby resists

Baba : Baby, sippu! Sippu? 

Baby resists again. 

Baba :  shall I get a spoon?

Mama : yes. 

Baba gets the spoon. And attempts to feed the baby a spoonful of milk.

Baba: Tastu? Tastuu?

Baby sips it but then quickly realizes the decoy and resists and starts throwing his toys. Parents give up. The transition today has failed.