Tag: munan

Bye, Curls!

LagosMumLeave a comment

We reached a real milestone on September 14th. That was the day of Booni’s munan.

I wasn’t as emotional about it as I was when we had to do it for Vins. And even the barber commented on it afterwards. He said I was much stronger this time than with Vins.

Booni cried. He screamed and he cried and he howled. He wasn’t in any pain, though. I think it was mainly because he had to be kept still for about twenty minutes. This is a feat that is practically impossible for him!

I had him in my lap – my legs keeping his still and my arms around him – keeping his upper body from moving. LagosDad had to hold his head still. It sounds cruel, doesn’t it? But it had to be done.

I miss his crazy curls. And somehow his bald head makes him look like more of a little boy than a baby. But I think he looks much cuter without the hair – you can really see his face now.

My gorgeous baby boy.

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A Milestone

LagosMum10 Comments

Today, Vinay reached a new milestone.  His head was shaved – signifying cleansing, a fresh future and saying goodbye to his babyhood.  Although, having said that, he’ll always be my baby!

I’m quite proud of myself – I managed not to cry.  I couldn’t have a breakdown when he was so distressed 😦

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Yes, as you could see in the pictures, he wasn’t happy.  But, after his bath he calmed down and was fine!

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Traditionally, the baby has to wear a yellow ‘kurta’ after his bath and then go to a lunch or dinner hosted by his maternal grandparents.  Since my parents aren’t here, we went to my aunt’s house for lunch.

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He actually seemed to have forgotten about the events of the morning and had fun.  Maybe a little too much fun, because he was exhausted by the time we came home!

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It was heartbreaking to see him cry the way he did, but I’m so relieved that he’s over it now and back to his normal self 😀

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

LagosMum8 Comments

Vinay was born with a fabulous head of hair.  When he was a teeny tiny baby, people would stop me in the middle of the street to comment on how much hair he had.  

His curls are gorgeous (if slightly out of control).  When his hair is wet, it goes down past his shoulders.  It’s longer than mine!  I have a whole array of clips and rubber bands to keep his hair neat.  And my sister says he looks like Krusty the Clown when we tie it up.  But I love it.  I love the curls.  I love burying my face in them and smelling his baby scent.  

He’s (obviously) very attached to his hair as well.  When he’s looking at books, drinking his milk, thinking or falling asleep – he often strokes his own hair.  I think he finds it very soothing.

And that’s why I’m so upset.  

Tomorrow, Vinay will have his head shaved.

I knew it was going to happen.  As soon as I knew I was having a baby boy, I knew that we would have to shave his head when he was in his thirteenth month.  But that doesn’t make it any easier!  It will grow back, of course – but it will never be the same.

In the Hindu tradition, the hair a baby is born with is associated with undesirable traits from past lives.  So, at the time of the ‘munan’, the child is shaven to signify freedom from the past and moving into the future (thank you Wikipedia).  Apparently, shaving the hair is also meant to stimulate proper growth of the brain and nerves.

This is just one of his rites of passage *crying*