Shreelu's roll over.

Me being from Rayalaseema.. Did not know much about the pillala vedukalu (baby rituals) celebrated.

In this part of Andhra Pradesh, we only have these rituals: Namakaranam, Annaprasana, etc..

But as my husband is from Andhra.. I got to know some small rituals through my husband's nayanamma(paternal grand mother) which is practiced in Andhra Pradesh for some of the mile stones a baby passes..

I felt this is a very good idea to leave these mile stones unforgotten, decided I would do these to my LO.

By the time i got to know about these, Shreelu had already passed one of the mile stones.

The rituals are celebrated by preparing different kinds of Andhra recipes for each milestone and distributed among the neighbors and family.

 If the baby smiles for the first time(not the one in sleep but the one where they actually smile back to people) Nuvvula undalu are distributed. Pillalu modati sari navvithe Nuvvula undalu panchipettadam jarugutundi (I missed this for Shreelu.)

Borla padithe bobbatlu which we in Rayalaseema call it as polilu.

Gadapa dhatithe Garelu and Adugulu veste Ariselu.

Shree's roll over:

Shree rolled over for the first time on her 3rd month 10th day(June 2nd). My mom and I were sitting and having a chit chat with tea and snacks on the rainy day and suddenly we noticed Shreelu on her play gym turned over on her tummy.. I soon grabbed my mobile and clicked.

The following day we made bobbatlu and distributed in our apartment. I was so happy and excited.. My DD crossing her milestones one by one!!

Naa chitty thalli ki laali paata!!

Just before writing this post I remembered a conversation with my vadina (SIL) who is a mother of a year old boy Chotu(Adithya) before 2 months when Shree was 2 months old..

Vadina: Enti Sreelu padukonistonda?(Is Shreelu allowing you to sleep?) How is everything going? (She always knows I am a lazy gal.. sorry I "WAS" a lazy gal)

Me : Asalu Shreelu emi allari cheyadu vadina, maname every 3 hours ki lepali to feed her. Asalu edavadu.. She behaves so well..(Sree is a darling, she is very calm, we ourselves have to wake her and give feed, she doesnt't cry.)

Vadina: Pillalu 3 months varake calm ga untaru.. 3 months dhataka vallu em chesina manam dhaniki thaginattu undalisinde.. Ipude em leliyadu le.. She gave a sarcastic smile saying 2 months tarwatha ide maata cheppu!!(Told me to tell the same after 2 more months)

Cut cheste..

From a week or 2, I mean from when she rolled over.. She doesn't want to sleep at all..

She wants to roll over, she wants to play.. She tries to grasp things.. She loves to play on her play gym.. I had become a living zombie so desperate to sleep.. Both me and Ram had to try had to make her sleep.

One fine night.. She hadn't slept yet and it was 3:40 AM. My mom, Ram and I tried all possible means to make her sleep..  Then.....Meri dimag ki batti jal gayi.. Opened youtube and searched for a song which I heard from my grandmother singing to my cousins when I was young.. She used to sing many but when I thought about laali paatalu, this one was the 1st one which came to my mind..

It did a magic.. A 5 minute song made my kiddo fast asleep with in 3 minutes.. And now its her favorite song and mine too(Its my weapon now)..

Soon I learnt this
song and when ever I want to make my lo sleep I play it and sing along with it. It goes on like this..

Raama Laali.. Megha syama Laali..
Thamarasa Nayana Dasaradha tanaya laali..

Achha vadana.. Aataladi alasinavu ra..
Bojjalopali paalu arigedhaka nidurapove ra..

                                                                     ||Rama||

Jola paadi jo kodithe aalakinchevu ra..
Chalinchi orukunte saiga chesevura..

                                                                    ||Rama||