The child watched her mother expertly mix the baby food in the boiled and cooled water. The baby was already whimpering in impatience in her cradle.
I am coming.. I am coming… the mother said in a sing song voice, hurrying over with the bowl of baby food.
The child skipped along.
The baby gurgled in delight when she saw the mother.
Cootchie cootchie coo, she said to the baby.
Cootchie cootchie coo, trilled the child, imitating her mother.
The mother started feeding the baby spoonful of sweet baby food as the older child watched.
The baby relishing the baby food turned to her elder sister and made conversation with tiny cooing noises of her own.
The child felt happy. Baby likes me, she told her mother.
Of course baby likes you, their mother said indulgently. You are her older sister.
You will both be friends and share everything too, the mother added smiling.
The child remembered the time she had snatched her toy off the baby’s hand because the baby had been chewing on it. She had wanted her mother to reprimand the baby. But mother had told her gently, that the baby was too young and as the older one she had to be patient and guide her. The baby would learn by and by. The child had listened with a growing sense of importance, absorbing what her mother had to say.
Will she share her baby-food with me too?? She now blurted in innocence.
The child was too intent watching the baby that she missed seeing the quick knowing smile on her mother’s face that threatened to erupt into good-natured laughter.
Of course she will, as soon as she has her fill, answered the mother equably
The child nodded. She wished the baby would hurry up.
She patted the baby’s tummy to check. It was plump and smooth to her touch.
Amma, I think the baby’s tummy is full, she said in all earnestness.
Hmmm… maybe there is space for a little more. Shall we see?? The mother asked the child, trying not to giggle.
Reluctantly the child agreed and went back to waiting patiently.
Ffffrrrrrrrrrrrr….
The baby sprayed food all over her mother and older sister.
Naughty girl, said the mother in mock anger to the baby. The baby paused to look at her intently making little mewing noises, waving tiny hands and feet.
Naughty girl, said the child to the baby, just like her, making the mother smile.
Fffffrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
More food was sprayed. The baby was in a playful mood. The mother tried to coax the baby to have some more. But the baby continued going ffffffrrrrrrrrrrrrr…. She had found something more interesting to do with food than eat it, now that her hunger was satiated.
The child eyed the flying debris of perfectly tasty baby food and was disappointed that it was going to waste.
Amma, baby’s tummy is full, she insisted, trying to convince her mother.
Oh yes, I think she is full, replied her mother, playfully pretending not to notice the inherent request in the statement.
The child stood looking at her expectantly, eyes wide in anticipation.
Here, you can have the rest of the baby food, said the mother, feeling sorry. But you must promise to finish your rice, lentils and veggies later on!
The child’s face lit up.
Yes Amma, I will, she made a quick promise.
She ran out clutching her precious bowl, to savor it, before her mother changed her mind.
The words this week: clutch, delight, happy
Shail's Nest 
Wednesday ???? in which part of the world ???
btw, 3 words alle chodichulloo??? ithrakkum venamaayirunno ! sho !! 😀 😀
@vimmuuu,
The words are put up every Wednesday you silly boy! 😀 😀
Athu pinne, they gave me three words. Jnan vicharichu, jnaan enthina avare pole pishukku kanikkunne?? So gave away plenty of them words that I have in my collection 😉 😀 😀 😀
I loved this! By the way, I loved baby food, still do! It is delicious
@Phoenixritu,
I love it too. Errr… I’ll tell you a secret. That’s what I used to do, keep telling my mother that my sister’s tummy was full so she would pass on the leftover baby food to me. Slurp slurp. I must have been around 2+ years old at the time 😀
@Shail, My older son did the same thing 😀
Awww..that was so sweet, Shail 🙂 And very nostalgic too..you knwo, my Amma used to do the same thing with me….I used to wait patiently for my brother to finish having his cerelac, hoping eranestly that he leaves some behind so I can lick the leftover clean 😀
Ah I loved the taste of Cerelac..those were the days! 😀
@Deeps,
Ooohhhh you too Deeps?? 😀 😀
Thank you 🙂
hahaha “aniyathiyude vayar niranju” …did i keep enough balance for u to gobble up?? I still love Baby food:D:D Remember mixing the baby food and eating it when we were hungry in the hostel?
@Shivaja,
I think so. That is where the foundation was laid for my well rounded shape perhaps. But perhaps I ate your share too and that’s why you bit me when you cut teeth! Grrr….. Biter sis!!! 😛
Too good. You captured the feelings of the child and mother so well.
When I used to feed my elder one baby food ,I used to eat the left over happily.This went on until I realised that I was eating the major portion of it and he was happily digging into hot n spicy “regular food”.
@kirti,
Thank you. I stopped myself from going lyrical about the baby coz I felt this was enough for 3WW. I laughed out loud reading about you eating baby food and the baby relishing regular food 🙂 😆
Brought back memories!! Baby food ,baby soaps and all baby products are really good,,,,so much for the manufacturers. Not just the babies even the rest of the family find it attractive 😀
@Nanka,
Welcome to Shail’s Nest. I agree, the rest of us do find baby products attractive. I myself am a fan of Johnson’s baby lotion and will use no other 🙂
My didi used to do that too!
@Reema,
OMG, I am glad I wrote this. I am hearing of a lot of people who were/are like me! 😀
a wonderful tender story….
@ms pie,
Thank you so much 🙂
A lovely one. Can picture the scenes.
@Sreejith,
Thank you 😀
I cannot say I enjoyed the baby-food, but I certainly enjoyed this story 🙂
@Kunal,
People like you are the salt of the Earth for those who love baby food 😉 What would they do without those like you??
Thanks Kunal 🙂
You have a very good knack
of bringing memories back
Even I used to long for the leftover Cerelac
even today those memories make my lips smack. 🙂
@Govind,
Et tu??? Welcome to the gang! 😀
Awwww…such a cerelac-sweet post!
I’ve never had memories of tasting cerelac and i made a ruckus with mom once…all the while making the boyfriend at the other end of the phone wait. And apparently, i sounded so hurt and sad, he decided to courier me a pack of cerelac through one of his friends who’s never seen me: and she gave it to me after giving me such a weird look, that i’ve had trouble facing her ever since!!! 😀 😀
Anyway, Pumbaa’s on a cerelac diet for a while till we wean him onto pedigree…and apparently, the cerelac is getting over faster than everyone would like it to 😀 😛 Ahem, I wonder why!
P.S.: I’ve just posted about you in my blog! 😉
@Scorpria,
Mystery of the Fast Disappearing Cerelac eh?? 😉 Haha I can picture the messenger giving you weird looks! But I am sure she thinks Cerelac is the secret of your beauty and youth! 😆
Nicely done. :). Beautiful memories of childhood captured so articulately. Enjoyed this read Shailji, you have a way of taking us to see the event.
@Rashmi,
Thank you Rashmi 🙂 I enjoyed writing this too. 🙂
Absolutely LOVED this sweet, loving, understanding story! At first I worried the mother might show impatience!
@Indian Homemaker,
Yeah, sometimes they do get impatient in real life, stressed as they are 🙂
Thanks IHM 🙂
So much happiness in a bowl of baby food!
@nimaruichi,
Welcome to Shail’s Nest and thank you for the comment 🙂
cho chweet, i looooooooooooooooooove baby food btw 😉