Laila 101

You guys know how Laila entered our home last August and completely became the center of our lives. But what I've never shared with you is the way she has taught us so many lessons and probably made us better people. In honor of her upcoming birthday (March 24th), this post will be all about her!

First of all, she has helped me overcome my fear of dogs. Yes, I was afraid of dogs until we got Laila. My husband had always wanted a dog and as a birthday gift to him, I decided to work on that fear and we got Laila. The day we got her, my husband had to leave for school for something important and I was so scared of being all alone at home with her. I kept wondering "What if she attacks and bites me?". Now when I look back, I find the thought so absurd! Soon I got convinced that she loves me and will not hurt me. It was still a bit of a challenge not getting scared of the dogs we met on the road and in the park. Not anymore and I am so thankful to my husband and to Laila for helping me through this process. I was missing out on this beautiful aspect of life.

Another thing Laila has taught me is to love the rain (once again). When I was younger, I used to absolutely love the rain. I would love getting wet in the first rain of the monsoon. I used to love looking out the window when it used to rain. Somewhere along the process of growing up, I lost this love. Now like all grown ups, I would hear about the rain forecast, and cringe and crib that it would be so messy. So, the first time, I took Laila for a walk while it was raining, I was not looking forward to the walk. However, as soon as we got out, and the first few drops of rain fell on her face, her eyes just lit up. For a few seconds she was confused as to what was going on but soon she decided that whatever it was, it was a lot of fun. She was walking with her face constantly towards the sky and just having a great time. It was while walking with her and seeing her enjoy the rain so much that I rediscovered my own love for the rain.

Same goes for snow...well, I never really minded snow much and actually love to see snow falling. But seeing Laila go completely crazy playing in the snow, I think I love snow much more now :)

Overall, I feel she has taught me to appreciate nature so much more. When we go for our first walk in the morning, it is usually very quiet. During the walk, sometimes she would stop if she hears birds chirping and I stop and enjoy those sounds too. Of course, she gets delighted if a squirrel goes by and I enjoy seeing her delighted.

Of course, the parenting lessons that she has taught us are another story altogether...maybe that will be another post :)

Finally, I want to end this post with some fun pictures of our little girl:

Laila goes hiking

Laila ready for work

Laila playing Holi!