Little Laddu

“Laddu.” Giggles, all around. “Laaadduuuuu”

Eli, recognizing an opportunity to work his charm, laughed on cue to the delight of his admirers; which at this particular moment is a group of women speaking rapidly to one another in Telegu (the local dialect).

“Are you calling him Laddu?” I asked, pleased that I not only recognized a Telegu word, but also understood it’s context.

Laughter. “Yes.” More rapid Telegu speaking. More laughter. “He is very cute and very fat,” someone offered, as they took turns lightly pinching his cheek and then kissing their fingers – another distinctive and charming Indian mannerism.

A Laddu (pronounced lad–dew) is a traditional Indian sweet. It resembles a donut hole in size and shape, but the taste and texture are completely different and distinctly Indian… and did I mention delicious! Of the many varieties, we have only sampled a few, my favorite being the basic - which is heavily scented with cardamom… yum! Because it is easy to make (or so I am told) it has been used for as long as anyone can remember in wedding ceremonies, celebrations and religious offerings. It also just so happens that “Laddu” is a pet name given in India to plump babies. Being slightly donut hole shaped, Eli is now affectionately referred to around here as Little Laddu.

Eli has really stepped up to fill the role of ambassador. Indians love Eli! He often stops people in their tracks, and sometimes attracts an adoring crowd. And Eli loves the Indians right back. He seems fascinated by their faces and will stare and smile at whomever is holding him at the moment. Perhaps his current favorite Indian is Verajita, Dr. Sharma’s oldest daughter, who is twelve. She adores Eli, and takes him from me whenever she can. The fondness seems to be mutual, as he often seems excited when he sees her.

In addition to charming the local population, Eli has been growing at a rapid clip. I swear he has grown at least another inch and has easily gained a pound or two since we left New Hampshire. He just looks so … well, so… big! I know he’s always been big, but now I feel as though I am watching the last vestiges of infancy slip away. In it’s place is this cheerful, even tempered, plump, active, chatty baby, who enjoys sleeping while riding through the bustle of Indian traffic. He has any easy smile and a deep belly laugh, and when he gets really excited he makes a panting sound – yes, much like a happy dog, but without the tongue hanging out. I know it sounds odd, but it is actually quite funny and terribly endearing.

As for his hair, this too is growing rapidly, he might just have a Kaplo coifs by the time we get home. But the real story is the color – it has become unmistakably red. Not just red in certain light, undeniably red in any light.

But the biggest news of all is that he is on the move! Crawling that is. The poor thing had no choice! Because we have marble floors, I never dare to leave him sitting unattended since he still occasionally flops over (not that I leave my children unattended for long periods, but I do have Evan to chase too). Therefore, if I need to turn my back, I always place him on his belly on a mat on the floor. Out of necessity he started slowly inching towards things beyond his reach. He is rapidly getting more efficient, and his movement is starting to resemble actual crawling. Whatever you want to call it, if he wants something, he can get there quickly. Just tonight we watched with delight as he chased a water bottle around our living room – I know that sounds terrible, but he was enjoying himself immensely… really.