Day 21: The cuddler cometh

Sometimes she needs a feed. Sometimes she needs a change. Once in a while she just wants to play and a story.

But most of the time though she just wants a cuddle. Papa only wisened up to this a few nights ago, and now the its full swing on the cuddle mode after every feed / change / play / story.

Papa: Isabel, aren't you tired darling?
Isabel: (Eyes wide open, looking around)
Papa: You're not tired? Papa is tired, and Amma is asleep...
Isabel: (Eyes wide open, mittens pawing Papa's face)
Papa: Isabel, why don't you sleep. Sleeping is nice, Isabel...
Isabel: (Looks at Papa, eyes still wide open)
Papa: Sleep Isabel... sleep...
Isabel: (Eyes closing, thinks "I think I'll give this poor man a break...")

Day 16: Isabel is a nightbird!

It's very difficult to think of Isabel as anything other than a quiet, restful baby when you see most of her photographs, or even if you visit during the day, and in the early parts of the evening.

But come 11pm, she is up and rearing to go, giving her very unfit Papa some important lessons in endurance and stamina, which often lasts till the early parts of the morning.

Isabel has also managed to convince her very gullible parents into allowing her into their bed, which usually results in a few hours of restful slumber for her, and more importantly for Amma and Papa as well. In those early hours - even through very sleepy eyes - we are reminded of exactly how much she means to us...

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Day 10: Isabel loves the sun

Isabel had a slight tinge of jaundice which only needed monitoring by Amma from home. Every morning, she gets her 30 mins in the morning sun, and boy does she love it.

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Saturday April 14th was the Tamil New Year, and our little princess spent the day dressed in a jade green dress, handmade from Sri Lanka. She does seem to enjoy the airy freedom of loose dresses, and often kicks off her cloth swaddle and sometimes even her booties when she feels like it.

'Isabel in green' was taken during the Saturday afternoon rain shower when she seemed to be in full swing of her trademark expressive mood.

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... and baby makes three

"A child is the only chance we get in life to assist God in a miracle..."

Say hello to our lovely daughter Isabel Aria Joachim, born at 5:30pm on Thursday, April 5th 2007.

We liked to have thought that we prepared adequately enough for her birth, both in terms of logistics as well as from a mental standpoint, from speaking to new parents, to reading about babies and parenting, to speculating between ourselves how she might turn out to be, or what we might experience when we see her.

But there is nothing, absolutely nothing that could have prepared us for exactly how much joy and excitement she brought to us both and to our families, both at the time and day of her birth, and in these first few days of having her with us.

Isabel is the first grandchild on both her mother's and her father's families, and you can only imagine what joy she has brought to her uncles, aunts, grandmother, grandfather and great-grandmother, as well as a host of uncles, aunts and cousins in our extended family.

Isabel means "an oath from God (Hebrew)", whilst Aria is a classical Sanskit name (also popular Italian and Portuguese name), meaning , "prayer" (Sanskit), "song" (Greek) or "lion" (Hebrew); an aria is also said to be the most melodic, most expressive piece in an opera, usually performed by the lead soprano. We both liked the name the moment we thought of it in the months before she was born.

Isabel is an Aries, and individuals born under this sign are thought to have a confident, aggressive, energetic, active, adventurous, enthusiastic, fair, passionate, and pioneering character. Physically they are said to be tall in stature and athletic in appearance.

She is also born in the lunar year of the Fire Pig, said to be honest, straightforward and patient people, who are modest characters who prefer to work diligently behind the scenes.

We just say what will be, will be...

Isabel shares the same birthday as Thomas Hobbes (philosopher, b. 1588), Joseph Lister (English surgeon, b. 1827), Bette Davis (actress, b. 1908), Gregory Peck (actor, b. 1916), Arthur Hailey (writer, b. 1920), Colin Powell (former US State Secretary, b. 1937), Fernando Morientes and Simone Inzaghi (footballers, both b. 1976), among others.

Our thanks to for all your congratulations, SMSes, cards, gifts and flowers and best wishes. Here's an excerpt from one of our favourites:

A new dawn arrives to break the monotony of everyday life with the gift of a daughter.

This will be a reason for you to hurry home to the giggles and grins of a toothless charmer. She will grab at your finger or a strand of your hair to tell you that she is here to stay.

Here's wishing you an endless celebration that only a daughter can bring...