New Winter Photos

Here are some photos I took recently of Samedh, enjoying his first Michigan winter. I still don't have a new digital camera (one of these days!), but I found that the quality of prints from a disposable camera is pretty good. And thanks to a photo CD from Walgreens, I can still share photos with friends online.

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I made the snowman last Tuesday while Samedh sat in his sled on our deck and watched. I later added a baby carrot for a nose, my hat and one of my old scarves. The carrot nose fell out soon after, as we had temps in the 40's. Snowman's head melted the next day, and his hat and scarf were laying next to him. Samedh didn't seem to mind, though. He still waves at "Snowman" from the slider door.

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Now that some of the snow has melted off our deck, you can finally see the black oil sunflower seeds we put out there for the birds BEFORE our last storm, which was earlier this month. (The seeds quickly got buried with 2 feet of snow at that time.) Mourning doves have started coming to munch, and we've also had regular visits from sparrows and house finches. Occasionally, we see goldfinches, though it's still hard to distinguish males from females this early in the year. Now tonight we are expecting another winter storm, which will bury the seeds again. It sounds like blizzard conditions for all day Sunday, so today we'll be preparing to be stuck in the house all day tomorrow. I just hope we don't lose power this time...

Happy Anniversary Eric and Dena!

This is the most current photo I have of my sister Dena and her husband Eric.

(This family photo is one of Samedh's favorites, and is part of his little album.)

Today, they are celebrating 10 years of marriage!

Eric and Dena are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters,

Julia (almost 9), Olivia (7), and Kaleia (almost 3).

My Very First Hug

Samedh did something very tender and amazing last night: He gave me a hug for the first time! He wasn't all that ready for bed last night, so I let him lay on our bed while I was watching Lost. During a commercial, he stood up and walked over to me. He smiled and then opened his arms, leaned in, and closed his arms around me. He even patted my back. A very touching moment! I called out to Pankaj, who was in the living room reviewing his commercial loan packets, and he quickly came to the bedroom. Apparently, Pankaj has been teaching Samedh "how to hug" for some time now, and never thought Samedh was paying attention. I guess he really was! After my first hug, I got about 10 more in a row, each as sweet as the one before. Daddy got a hug too, before returning to his work. Then Samedh suddenly got very sleepy, and fell asleep next to me.

Happy Paczki Day!

First of all, I want to wish everyone a very happy Paczki Day! After lunch today, I sat down with Samedh and prepared to share a delicious strawberry flavored paczki with him. It would be his first. I even placed a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side to temp him. I was so excited to share this Polish tradition with him, but he had other plans. After one bite of paczki, he turned his head in refusal. Then I tried sneaking him strawberry filling hidden in a scoop of ice cream, but that didn't work either. Well, at least I tried. He doesn't like Polish paczki's...I don't care much for Indian sweets either...

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Earlier this morning, Samedh and I bundled up and went outside on our deck to make another snowman. This is the first time we'd been out on the deck in weeks...After we had our big blizzard, the snow piled up so much against the slider door (and BETWEEN the screen and the door) , that it froze up and the door could not be opened. The temperature was about mid-30's, and it felt wonderful. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and we could really feel spring in the air! Samedh sat on his new sled while I put the snowman together. I put one of my hats on his head and gave him one of my old scarves. All we have in the fridge is baby carrots, so one of those became his nose. When we were done, I took a couple photos with my disposable camera. The last two exposures, so now it's time to take the camera in to Walgreen's for developing. I'll post the photos as soon as I get a photo CD back.

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When we were done with our snowman, Samedh and I took the sled out to the front yard. I pulled him all over the yard, which became very exhausting (even though he is only about 15lbs). The snow is still over one foot deep out front, and it just about covered my boots. Not long after we went back inside, it was nap time for Samedh. I think he was just as exhausted as I was, and he fell asleep immediately. I can't wait for continued warmer weather so he and I can go out and play more often.

Finally, some winter birds!

The photos above where taken at my parents' house recently. They get all the good birds, as they have a wooded area behind their house. Juncos, Cardinals, and Woodpeckers of all varieties are some of their frequent visitors. One of my favorite winter birds is the Dark Eyed Junco, pictured here. They've only visited our yard twice since we've lived in Zeeland, and those visits were only at the time of fall migration.

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Our backyard is too wide open to attract a variety of birds during the winter. There's just not enough protective trees, but we are working on that. We've planted arborvitae and blue spruce in the yard, and this seems to offer some cover for the birds (more so when the trees mature). We used to get mourning doves all the time, but this winter is different. Not one bird visited our feeders until today. Maybe it had been too cold...Samedh was so thrilled to see some action at the feeder, and pointed with excitement at the flock of sparrows and house finches munching away at the thistle seed we set out for them.

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So far, Samedh seems to enjoy my love for backyard birds. He truly enjoyed the juncos at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and I can't wait for spring when we can go on "bird walks" so he can learn to identify even more birds.

Waiting for Spring

It's hard to believe that I took this photo nearly one year ago already. Early last March, Pankaj and I visited Yosemite National Park with our friends, Jay and Judy. Being in California, I was anticipating getting great spring time nature photos, full of green meadows dotted with colorful wildflowers along a backdrop of stunning mountains. But being in a higher elevation, Mother Nature had other plans, as it was technically still winter. During our weekend stay at a lodge right outside the park, we encountered a snow storm and temperatures in the 30's. It felt more like Michigan than California, but it was beautiful all the same. The morning after the snow storm, Pankaj and I walked the grounds of the lodge and found dozens of hummingbirds zipping in and out among the flowering shrubs that were covered in snow. It was an amazing sight to see such colorful jewels in such cold and snowy conditions. In Michigan, we don't see our first hummers until May, so this was such a treat for me. This photo is surely my favorite from our trip last year. It reminds me that even when it's cold and blowing snow outside, the beauty of spring and summer is just right around the corner.

He Stole My Heart

One look at his photo, and this little guy stole my heart

Just a one inch color photo, and living oceans apart

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We began a process that took months but felt like years

And when we met in person there were so many happy tears

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Now we are settled in our cozy little home

Each of us knowing that we will ever feel alone

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Up in heaven is where our family was made

And today we celebrate our little Valentine,

Our precious son, Samedh

Daughter of the Ganges

I just received a new book in the mail. It is called Daughter of the Ganges, written by Asha Miro. The author was born in India and adopted by a family in Barcelona at age six. The inner cover describes the book as, "A moving and emotional story about one girl's adoption." This is supposed to be a "must read" for all India adoptive families. I look forward to reading it during nap times, and hope to share the book with my other adoptive friends when I'm done.

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Well, it's still snowing here in Zeeland. It snowed all day yesterday, and we're expecting more lake effect snow tomorrow evening. We certainly don't have the 10 feet of snow like some folks out east, but the 2 feet we have is just about enough. Last Sunday we visited my parents and my mom took some photos of Samedh outside in a sled. These were his first "snow photos", and I will post them as soon as I can get them copied from my mom. Samedh was very quiet while sitting outside in the sled, but as soon as we went back in the house, he kept pointing at the door as if to ask to go back out.

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Not much else is new around here, though I had a funny experience cooking Coco Wheats cereal in the microwave this morning. I loved Coco Wheats when I was a kid, and thought it would be the perfect breakfast for Samedh. Something sweet and chocolaty, and mushy at the same time (a texture he's been preferring lately). When I was growing up, I used to cook Coco Wheats on the stove top (we didn't have a microwave back then). I should have stuck to the pan method, as the microwave results were a disaster! After cooking for 1 minute, the directions said to microwave on high for 1-2 additional minutes, checking the cereal every 30 seconds until you reach the desired consistency. It specifically said to "watch it carefully", which I did at the beginning. I got distracted with Samedh during the third "30 second round", and was amazed to find cereal oozing out over the side of the bowl and all over the bottom of the microwave when I opened the door. I used a dish towel to mop up the mess, and Samedh thought it was pretty funny. After all that work preparing the cereal and cleaning up a gooey mess, I sat down to feed Samedh. He only ate about 4 spoons of cereal before he clearly gave up and started demanding his usual Cheerios. He knows where I keep the box, so he just shouts and points in that direction...

Lucky 7

Olivia

Celebrating 7 years

Survivor of 2 surgeries, 2 casts

"Gentle Bruiser"

Bird lover

Niece

Goddaughter

Friend

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Happy 7th Birthday, Livvy!

(Olivia's birthday was February 10th)

December 7, 2006

(Photo 1) Leaving Mumbai, December 7, 2006
(Photo 2) Samedh relaxing at the airport in Amsterdam
(Photo 3) Samedh on the flight from AMS to MSP

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December 7, 2006

Notes on the flights back home...
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We got a bassinet on the Mumbai to Amsterdam flight. Samedh slept most of the flight and did well because of the bassinet. We only had to take him out to hold him whenever there was turbulence and the seat belt sign came on.

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At Amsterdam (AMS), Samedh started grunting while we waited for our connecting flight to MSP. We used the family restroom / baby changing station (love these!) and cleaned up a very messy diaper! Thank goodness he took care of business before we got on the plane! A true blessing for Mamma and Daddy.

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AMS-MSP flight: We got bulkhead seating again, but were not given a bassinet because turbulence was expected most of the flight and we'd have to hold Samedh anyway. It was only about an 8 hour flight, but felt much longer. Samedh was bored and miserable. He screamed and cried a lot. He was awake the ENTIRE flight, as it was bright and sunny inside the plane the whole way back. Not good conditions for nap time.

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Our flight attendant was very nice and helpful. She gave us a certificate signed by the pilot and wings to document Samedh's first flight. It was very thoughtful. There was also a 3 year old boy adopted from Ukraine on the flight. Pankaj talked to his parents while walking around the plane with Samedh. He got a certificate too. The flight attendant also brought a small orange for Samedh to play with. It amused him for a little while. She even brought him his own ice cream, which I ended up eating. It was way too cold for Samedh.

SAMEDH STARTED WALKING!

Taking a little break from sharing my India journal entries. Nothing much to report about December 6th anyway. That was the night we left Mumbai for home, so all the details will be posted under December 7th. Stay tuned tomorrow!

So Samedh started walking yesterday. So exciting! For him and for me! And Samedh even showed off his new skills for Daddy when he came home from work last night. Of course, I don't have a camera to capture these precious moments on film...Still looking for a new one. But we did get him walking on video. (Which reminds me, I need to recharge the battery...)

Still snowy and cold here in Zeeland. Probably not as snowy as our friends in the U.P., but close enough. Too cold to play outside, and most schools have been closed...even today. And you know when the Catholic schools in GR close, it's pretty bad out there. Even Catholic Central High School closed, and that rarely happened when I attended! I think I remember only ONE snow day, and they decided to close the school about 30 minutes after the day started. That was one drive home I'll never forget! Me sliding around GR in my red '77 Chevy Impala...That car was a lot different from my current Impala, let me tell you!

Decemer 5, 2006

December 5, 2006

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Today we gave Samedh a "deluxe sponge bath". He sat on a plastic sheet and we sponged him well. We gave him water in a cup and let him stick his hands in it. He really enjoyed that. He did well with the sponge bath until it was time to rinse him off. Then he cried. He dried him off and powdered him, and I oiled his hair. Then I rocked him to sleep. He slept soundly until 12:30pm, then woke up briefly. Now he's sleeping again. Soon we'll wake him up and feed him lunch. Then we plan to go to Eternity Mall for an outing.

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Later in the day...

We went to Eternity Mall, which is only a few blocks away by car. Unfortunately, the power was out in that neighborhood. We bought a music CD of the latest Hindi movie, Salaam E Ishq. We also bought DVD's of the animated Hanuman and Krishna movies for children. These will be great for Samedh to watch as he gets older. We also walked up three flights of stairs to the children's play area of the mall. We had to walk because the escalators were not working. It was very hot! Samedh played on some toys, which were out of order because of the power outage. He didn't seem to mind, however. He really enjoyed himself (SEE PHOTOS BELOW). On the drive home, street vendors were going car to car selling Santa hats. The vendors were even wearing the hats in the 95+ degree heat! To me, this is always a funny sight in Mumbai during the Christmas season.

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December 4, 2006

These are photos that were taken the morning of December 4, 2006

December 4, 2006

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Last night, all 3 of us slept in the bedroom together. Samedh woke up a 6am and was ready for play. He drank only 3oz of formula and also let me change his diaper without a problem. By 6:30am, he was making regular attempts to get to the vase by the front door, and he was wearing me out. Because his ear was still oozing yesterday, Pankaj gave him another dose of anti-biotic this morning.

I showered at 7am because the power may go off from 8-10:30am this week. (In fact, the time is currently 7:55am, and the power just went out as I'm writing this.) I gave Samedh a bowl of apple flavored rice cereal with formula and strawberry applesauce mixed in. I filled his little bowl. He ate it all! Then he drank a couple ounces of formula and ate some of Daddy's omelet.

Mummy ordered wadas and upma for lunch from a nearby restaurant. We couldn't feed the upma to Samedh (it's kind of like Cream of Wheat) because it was too oily. I made apple rice cereal and mixed it with Gerber Garden Vegetables. He ate the whole bowl.

At 7pm, Pankaj and I went to McDonald's for dinner with Samedh. He ate bits of french fries, pieces of aloo tikki, bread and fudge sauce from my sundae. He was well behaved and enjoyed being out. We went to Big Bazaar after dinner, where we bought some groceries and diapers. We were home by 9pm.

More December 3 Party Photos

December 3, 2006

Samedh's Party, Sunday December 3, 2006

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Today was the family party for Samedh at Royal Challenge II restaurant in Thane. All of the family was there, except for Sanju Mama. His car had been burned during the recent riots and bandh, so he and his family couldn't come from Pune. The party was held from Noon-3pm, and Samedh slept from 1pm onward. He missed his cake and ice cream, and Daddy blew out his candle for him.

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When we got home from the party, it was only 3pm. Therefore, the power was out and the lift was not in service. Daddy went off with the driver for a while because he can't make it up 7 flights of stairs. He came home later when the power came back on. Pankaj carried Samedh and Mummy and I joined them up the stairs. It took us several minutes because it was so hot outside. This was the third time we had to carry Samedh up the stairs due to a power outage.

Daddy & Samedh at his party

Samedh with Aji and Ajoba

Mamma & Samedh at the party

December 2, 2006

December 2, 2006

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I woke up several times during the night and took my temperature around 5am because Pankaj thought I felt warm. My temp was 100.4. My body ached badly, so I guess that explains the fever. My eye is also still swollen and red. The eye doctor is closed until Monday, but Mummy still had an Rx for eye allergy drops. We'll get the Rx refilled for me today at the chemist and see how the drops work. I plan to wear only glasses for the rest of our stay.

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Samedh woke up at 7:30am. In one hour's time, he drank only 3oz of formula. He sat nicely with Daddy (Pankaj) during breakfast and Daddy fed him pieces of omelet again. Around 10am, Pankaj and Samedh took a nap in Mummy and Daddy's room. Samedh slept until 1pm.

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At lunch, Samedh had formula and some gobi from Daddy's plate. He also had bits of paneer and chapati dipped in dal. Then I put him on a plastic sheet on the living room floor and gave him a teething biscuit. When it got soft, I gave small pieces to him so he wouldn't choke. Samedh ate the entire biscuit. Later in the afternoon, Samedh ate the cream frosting from several biscuits, which we would call cookies in the US. It was vanilla and strawberry. He also drank some pani to wash the frosting down. Like me, he likes his pani cold out of the fridge.

December 1, 2006

December 1, 2006

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We slept pretty well at Jaggat's, and then had to leave early in the morning - - just in case someone called another bandh and we again couldn't reach Thane.

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Samedh did very well when we reached home - - he needed no adjusting. He started immediately with his masti making with Aji and was totally comfortable.

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Today was our first attempt at giving Samedh a proper bath. We had been sponge-bathing him due to his ear infection, but decided to try him in a tub this afternoon. We added 2 inches of warm water to a nice large plastic tub Mummy has, and I splashed my feet around to show him how fun it was. Then Pankaj put Samedh in the tub (with his diaper on!). He did NOT like that, and was screaming and crying! We managed to wash his head and hair with water only. Then we applied Johnson's Baby Hair Oil to his scalp. He screamed when we put his diaper on after the bath, but quieted down once we powdered him and had him dressed.