...until early hours of November 5th, 2008

We were in Dayton, Ohio when my first pregnancy was confirmed in February of 2008. As this was going to be the first grandchild, everyone in our family was very thrilled on knowing the news. During the next two months, we moved to Minneapolis for our next projects. My due date was November 8th, 2008. So, plans were made ahead and Mom landed in Minneapolis on October 19th. It was her first visit outside of India . So, imagine the excitement...

During my first pregnancy-

• I did not have nausea, but was EXTREMELY hungry ALL the time. (even right after a meal).
• My spice quotient in the taste scale increased exponentially - hubby dear was shocked at this. Though from Andhra Pradesh, a state in India that is famous for it's spicy food; I was hardly a big spice eater. But I did not like sweet either.
• Memories of my (actually C's) experience with my hormones are horrendous - they went for a roller coaster ride during those 9 months. And with that came the mood swings.
• S would turn around completely (not just move) and kick a lot whenever I was in a meeting at work. It would require me to take a break to feel the tickles and then get back to work.
• I made a conscious effort to eat VERY healthy - chole (garbanzo beans), rajma (red kidney beans), nutrella (nuggets), pecans, fresh fruit in abundance, dairy products and whole grains. Forced the same on C that he never ate rajma, chole or nutrella for the next entire year.
• Every night, we both walked for almost an hour every night, watched an episode of Friends.
• During the weekends, we played a lot of bowling in WII.
• I gained a whooping 50-60 pounds and looked like a puffed up balloon (I am not a tall person - so, it was worst). My complexion had gotten much darker. I had a lot of water retention in my face. People at work asked me if I was having twins. 
• There were some people who guessed I will be having a boy - a lady who worked at a restaurant (Kabobs) we frequently visited, my colleague and some people I met at the mall. The logic they had is that if the tummy looked round like a ball; then it is a boy. Else, a girl. I cannot make out that difference to date. (Any tummy will be round during a pregnancy. Now, to distinguish between the types of rounds is beyond my  comprehension)
• For the first time in USA that we stood in a queue for 3 hrs to watch a movie on the release date, July 18 2008 - The Dark Knight.
• Our favorite restaurants were - Surabhi(for the dosa and tomato chutney), Kabobs ( biryani joint in Minneapolis), California Pizza Kitchen (Kung Pao Sphagetti, Chipotle pizza and Tiramisu), Cheesecake factory (Chicken jambalaya without chicken) and Potbelly Sandwich works.
• We watched a number of movies.
• We were planning to make one last trip as a couple (without kids), but never really made it - I was bent on the East Coast and hubby dear on Florida...Now that I think of it, it's OK without the trip. 
• I hated travelling in the Infiniti G35 coupe that we had because of it's low-lying seats. Like all guys, C loved going in the Inifinti G35 coupe because of it's sporty look and feel.
• When it came to buying a car seat and stroller for S; I researched online for a week, took almost 3-4 hrs of testing various brands of strollers/car seats and finally bought the Chicco Cortina Travel System (Orange and Grey colour).

These are just the highlights. More than 8 months passed by and we were getting impatient to see our baby; not because I was physically tired but just anxious to see what he looks like, how the delivery will go , his first reaction to the world outside, how we will do as new parents, understand and know all the little things that our baby will like and not like, how will I get back into shape (I was confident I would) and more. I took maternity leave from October 27th 2008 to spend some time with Mom and...

...the waiting continued into the early hours of November 5th, 2012.